


In Which Zeetha Fights For Mechancisburg

by Han502653



Series: A Different Zeetha [3]
Category: Girl Genius
Genre: Gen, Mind Control, PTSD, Past Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 15:05:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 145,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8849632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Han502653/pseuds/Han502653
Summary: Zeetha may be free from Stumhulten, but with the Other on the loose, a debt to a girl unable to throw a proper punch, and the collar still around her neck she isn’t without problems. The fact that her new Zumil has also made enemies with the Empire’s leader, who just also may be the only person in Europa not the Other who knows where her home is just icing on the cake. She can only hope that by helping Agatha take back her city will help some of these problems go away. Most of her doubts that though, she’s never had that kind of luck before.(Alright this is how it’s going to work. I’m going to post a new chapter every Wednesday up until chapter 8. Hopefully by then I will have finished the rest of the story, but there will probably be some kind of hiatus. But I will get it done, I promise.)





	1. In Which Zeetha Dreams

She was on her back. Pinned at the wrists by a large male figure, his features shrouded by shadow. A familiar feminine laugh in the background: nothing but swirling and flashing colors.

Zeetha snarled as anger flashed and engulfed her fear. With a twist and a kick he tumbled to her side and she darted away. Warily she circled the rising figure, before darting in before he fully stood and getting him in the back of the knee. He collapsed again. The laughing had stopped. She smirked.

“Liga eam anima!” Lucrezia… no Anevka… no High Priestess Maru, maybe all of them, perhaps none of them, shouted. She didn’t know, she didn’t care. She collapsed to her knees, her hands grasping at her collar, her muscles trembling uncontrollably. She was kicked to her back. Her hands ripped from around her neck and to the floor. A knee on her stomach. A snarl on her lips. A desperate twist and—

Zeetha woke silently but violently. Lunging up from where she laid into a powerful punch to the air. She hovered there for a second as reality hit, and then her arms dropped to the grass and she bent into her knees in an attempt to calm her racing heart.

She hadn’t had a dream like that… in a long time. Well, the touch of the bandages around her neck reminded her, mostly anyway. She scowled. She wasn’t at all happy with their return.

She took a deep breath and then winced at the searing of her throat. Her hands rooted into the grass, and with several more, much shallower breaths, her heart began to slow, even as her arms still wished to tremble.

Despite her eyes still being closed she could tell it was still dark, though the calls of song birds told her that it was likely early morning. A gentle, unseasonably warm breeze played with her hair and the crackling of the fire to her left—

Zeetha froze, and then slowly peeked out towards the fire to catch the eye of the three startled figures staring at her: The Jägermonsters. Heat creeped up her neck, around her ears, and into her cheeks. She swung her head around and hunched into her shoulders. For a second it was quiet, nothing but song birds and crickets.

Then, “Hoy?”

Zeetha’s head whipped around back to the Jägers. The one who spoke, the one armed one, Dimo Zeetha believed, tilted his head towards an empty log. “Huy vant a seat, mornink iz soon?”

The one-horned one… Oggie, grinned and waved. He sat near Dimo, and had his triple-poleaxe (An intriguing weapon Zeetha wouldn’t mind getting a chance to really see in play) over one shoulder. “Yah, hy vas jus’ gunna tell de schtory vere Maxim gots crushed by a stone clank he taught vas a cave.”

The purple-one, Maxim, who was longing on a large boulder, one Zeetha was sure hadn’t been there when she went to sleep 1. Maxim’s attempt at a charming grin dropped and he shot a dark look Oggie’s way.

“Shot op Ognian,” He growled. Oggie grinned harder.

Zeetha blinked, but then let out a nervous and silent chuckle before standing. Pulling her handkerchief from her pants pocket she wiped away the last traces of her night. Threading her belt and pouch through her pants she approached the empty log and sat down.

In front of her the three Jägers sat in a lose semi-circle around the fire on an assortment of logs and the stone. Behind her and to her right slept Tarvek in one spot and Agatha in another. Agatha had earlier forced Tarvek to sleep on one of the extra blankets in worry of his multiple wounds, while Krosp slept curled up into Agatha’s back. As far as Zeetha could tell all three of them were sleeping peacefully. To her left was Wooster, also asleep in a stiff, military styled position. Zeetha expected that he hadn’t meant to sleep as deeply as he was, but from the circles under his eyes that she had spotted earlier, she doubted he could have helped it. They were nearly as bad as Agatha’s and Tarvek’s.

Atop the fire that crackled merrily was a pot of some, somewhat watery porridge. Her stomach noticeably growled, she hadn’t eaten in ages and Dimo handed her a bowl. She served herself some, only to wince as the hot liquid played havoc on her throat. With a sigh she placed it on her lap to cool. Not that would likely do much to help.

Oggie attempted to tell his story, but was quickly interrupted by Maxim as he started his own, embarrassing to Oggie story. Zeetha smirked as the competing stories degraded down into childish insults and finally to an outright wrestling match. They reminded her of some of her cousins.

A slight groan from Agatha’s direction has Dimo kicking both of them away for firewood. Zeetha stood with them, waved off Dimo’s glance of concern, and followed at a distance. She had never been one for sitting around with nothing to do, and a walk would clear her mind.

The sky was beginning to lighten, but considering the mountains, it was still awhile to sunrise. Zeetha turned away from the still bickering Jägers and up a hill. Once at the top she had to stop and stare. Below her wasn’t anything too amazing, just a bubbling creek pouring into a small stream, a forest with fog hugging the ground, and the smell of fresh air instead of smoke and city life. But, for the first time since she had left the castle, she realized she was free, truly free. Stumhulten was nowhere in sight, Stumhulten Castle was nowhere in sight. She was, for once, not surrounded by walls. She was free… mostly at least. Her hand brushed at her bandages briefly but she didn’t pay it any mind.

She took a deep breath of the fresh air, the pain not enough to make her regret it, or anything at the moment, and grinned wildly. She half dashed, half slid down the dew covered hill, and then galloped over to the stream. She hadn’t gotten a real chance to run since that doomed trip had started, and oh how she had missed it. Having left her boots back at camp Zeetha charged right into the creek. With a grin she twirled a bit, only to slip on the rocks and stumble. She didn’t completely fall, but she did soak one knee, as well as the arms of her jacket.

Zeetha blushed red. Obviously she had lost some of her grace during her forced exile, and carefully picked her way to the bank, her steps becoming surer by the second. She had spent much of her childhood playing on the banks of Skifander’s river, as well as in the Gliding Pond. Not even three years could take that from her.

At the bank she sat with her feet in the water, and just enjoyed the feel of it. It had been years since she had last felt anything like it. Even in Stumhulten she hadn’t gotten the chance to bathe, instead having to deal with nothing more than a wash basin. It felt wonderful. Though what she would give for a heated bath. Skifander had been dotted with natural hot springs, and the gifted, or Sparks as the people of Europa called them, had replicated them many times. There had been many baths in the War Palace, enough that in the middle of the night it wasn’t hard to find one empty of any other soul, though hundreds lived in the palace proper.

She had no idea Why she hadn’t been allowed to bathe, except perhaps because Anevka, as a clank, didn’t need to, and she was supposed to be with her at all times. Briefly Zeetha considered if Anevka had been weak to water, as many metal inventions were, before reality forcibly burst her thoughts. Anevka wasn’t Anevka anymore (though even she hadn’t been the real Anevka then either, not for a long time), and now the Other stood in her place.

Zeetha allowed herself to plop back, and stared at the sky as the stars began to twinkle out while lazily splashing her feet in the water. Chewing on her lip she considered the future as it stood out before her. The Other was back, in two forms, one in which had been successfully corralled. The Geisterdamen had fled with Lucrezia’s machines, machines that could create another Lucrezia at any time. A huge portion of Europa was wasped by Tarvek’s estimations, and the Baron, the leader of this land, was both heavily injured and, thankfully unknowingly by the free Lucrezia, wasped.

He could also speak Skiff, Zeetha considered after a hesitant moment, unsure of allowing that train of thought free was a good idea. Rather well actually, and he also knew her mother’s name. His fighting style had some recognizably Skifanderian like movements, and he even had a son who, by her calculations, should be around her age. He knew where Skifander _was_.

Zeetha closed her eyes for a second. Yes, she had a lot of questions for him. And considering, as far as _she_ knew, the current plan was to storm (or well _sneak_ ) into the Great Hospital and dose him with some cure yet to be invented, hopefully she would get the chance. Until then there were far more important things to be thinking of.

Like Agatha. Like how so much now ridded on her whether she was ready or not. Like how she was the reason Zeetha was now free to enjoy the feel of water on her feet and wind messing with her hair. Like how she had no idea how to fight.

Zeetha opened her eyes to a brighter world and turned her head to a long branch lying not much farther down the bank. _That_ at least was something she could help with.

               

Zeetha returned to camp with the branch thrown over her shoulder and her clothes still damp. She had already trimmed it down some with her knife, cutting off some smaller branches that sprung from it, and leaving it in a vaguely staff like form. Maxim and Oggie had since returned with more firewood (Or to be more specific, a giant log). Maxim was all but pouting, sitting where Oggie used to, while Oggie happily perched on the rock attempting to sneak seconds, which Maxim happily denied him. Dimo was doing his best to ignore them and instead eyed her branch with a questioning look.

Zeetha shrugged, knowing full well that she needed to save her voice for Agatha, and plopped back onto her log next to her food. A bug had made its way into it while she was gone and Zeetha spooned it out and flicked it into the fire unperturbed, before taking a mouthful. She winced. As she thought, the porridge now being cold didn’t help much at all. With a sigh she forced down a couple more mouthfuls and put it aside and replaced it with the branch. Drawing out the knife she began to carve off the remaining bark.

“Hyu gunna finish dat?” Oggie asked after a moment. Zeetha shook her head distractedly.

“Really, hyu deedn’t eat moch?” Dimo asked as he rubbed at his stump. Zeetha grimaced, and after a second put down the knife, and raised a fist up near her neck. “Ah.” Dimo nodded.

“Zo… Kan hy haf vats left?” Zeetha picked up her bowl and held it in Oggie’s relative direction. Oggie grinned and hoped off the rock to take it, an action which Maxim happily used to sneak back on it. Oggie nearly sat on him before realizing he was there, and turned his nose up in response.

“Ja, ja, take hyu’re schtupeed rock, hy gots more food, zo hah.”

Zeetha’s lip twitched and she went back to her branch and carved off the last of the bark. Once that was done she began shaping the edges into a rounded shape. Dawn had finally made it over the mountains and she wanted it done in time to head out.

It wasn’t much later that Zeetha felt a gaze upon her. Glancing up she spotted Agatha’s cat, Krosp staring at her. Catching her gaze he stood, and with his arms behind his back, marched over to her.

“I want to speak to you, _privately_.” He stated. His face was blank but his ears were half back. Unsure Zeetha glanced at Dimo, who shrugged. She stood with the half carved out staff in hand, though she put away her knife, and followed Krosp away from camp.

Krosp led her over and in to the abandoned barn that stood not far from where they had settled down. As soon as they were out of sight he turned and stared at her. Zeetha shifted. She had absolutely no idea how to deal with a talking, walking cat, let alone one that wore a red coat.

“I don’t trust you,” He started, hopping onto a barrel to get enough height to stick a claw into her face. Zeetha filched back and fought to keep her eyes from going cross-eyed. “You’re far too chummy with that Stumvarious boy and I sure as heck don’t trust him. Agatha is my vassal and if you mess with her you mess with me, and you do not want to mess with the Emperor of _Cats_!” He ended his rant with a hiss. Zeetha stared. He huffed after a moment and jumped off the barrel.

Zeetha watched Krosp stalk off. Yeah…There were some days she really did believe she was still sick on that ship stuck in a fever dream. She shook her head slowly and looked up as a newly awakened Agatha entered the barn.

“Was that Krosp?” she asked. Zeetha nodded.

“Oh…” Agatha shifted awkwardly and then turned to go. “I better go—”

“Wait!” Zeetha yelped, her voice still stiff from disuse. Agatha jumped, she wasn’t use to Zeetha speaking at all, turned and stared.

Suddenly feeling awkward Zeetha dropped the staff from her shoulders and leaned against it. “I have questions?” Zeetha frowned, not certain that was right, but continued anyway. “You know Skifander?”

Agatha nodded. “Yes… My uncle used to tell me stories, Skifander was where one of them took place.” She hesitated, thinking back. “Am I not supposed to know?” she asked uncertainty as if it had just occurred to her. “He did call it a hidden city and I know from my time at school that many lost communities don’t want to be found but—”

“Ni it,” Zeetha shook her head. “It –uh—fine, where it?”

Agatha stared at her. Zeetha sighed and rubbed her temples. She had been much better at this before, so much better.

“Skifander, where?”

Agatha jolted. “I don’t— _You_ don’t know?”

Zeetha looked embarrassed and dropped her gaze.

“Oh.” Agatha paused. “I’m sorry, I don’t know where it is, it was just a story my uncle told, and I haven’t seen him in eleven years.”

Zeetha heart fell and she leaned heavily on her staff, her face hidden by hair. “Oh,” she murmured, as The Baron reentered her thoughts, he _had_ said he knew where it was. Now talking to him had become ever more a necessity.

“I’m sorry,” Agatha whispered, gently placing a hand on Zeetha shoulder. Zeetha froze for just a moment and then shook it off.

“It is fine,” she started, carefully picking her words both to limit how much she was speaking, and to hide the pain she felt. “Before—I had ni did… er, no did know if Skifander— was even real.” Zeetha looked up at Agatha evenly and then suddenly dropped to one knee. “You I thank for telling me otherwise. I owe you my life.”

“I—I didn’t do that much,” Agatha quickly replied. “I certainly didn’t save your life; you got hurt because of me.” Agatha eyed Zeetha’s neck.

“Karni, this was not you.” Zeetha shook her head strongly as she stood, hiding a wince as she did so. “Lucrezia—perhaps, but not— you. Before you—I ni do think I cared if I lived or not— I know I didn’t.” Zeetha hesitated and thought back. She didn’t want to admit that she had fallen back into the dark place she had spent her teenaged years in, but it was the truth, and so she ventured on. “I did dumb things, things that could—kill me—”She trailed off for a second. “I wish to thank you, and repay you.”

“What, no I don’t—”

“You don’t know how to fight.” Zeetha stated bluntly, Agatha blinked.

“Not really,” she agreed slowly. “I mean Lilith taught me some basic stuff, how to escape grips and—” Zeetha held up a hand and Agatha trailed off.

“You will need— to know,” She continued. “I will teach you.” She hesitated for a moment. “In my country we have, Kolee dok Zumil—translated– similar to teacher and student.” But also much more than that, but her throat was beginning to catch up to her, so Zeetha skipped that for now. “It is important relationship, closer than friends, than family. I may have one – except for daughters. I wish—be you.”

Her voice cracked a bit at the end and Zeetha nostrils flared but otherwise she managed a blank face. Agatha stared at her.

“I don’t… know what to say,” She admitted. “If you can only have one… I don’t think I’m worth it.”

“I do.” The two stood in silence for a second. Then Zeetha raised her one hand in a fist, her thumb on the inside. “This is wrong.” She said, and then fixed her fist so her thumb rested on her knuckles. “This is right.”

Agatha blinked and then slowly made the fist. Zeetha nodded and moved onto her posture, using her staff to nudge Agatha into the right form. “Try.”

Agatha threw a lackluster and uncertain punch, Zeetha sighed. “Karni, like this.” Zeetha threw a proper punch. Agatha looked puzzled.

“That’s what I did.”

“No—”

“I distinctly remember telling you not to talk.” Zeetha made a face and turned to find a bed-headed Tarvek behind her looking rather annoyed. “Are you trying to permanently damage yourself?”

Zeetha scowled and made a movement with her hands that Agatha couldn’t follow.

Tarvek rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes I’m sure it was very important, either way I need a look at that, who knows what you have done looking after it yourself.”

Zeetha made a couple more signs, Tarvek looked insulted.

“My injuries are _fine_ , and who’s the doctor here, certainly not _you_.”

“Well… I took classes but they ever let me take the test,” Agatha piped up. Tarvek and Zeetha blinked and looked at her. “Err… I’m just… going to go get some breakfast.” With that she awkwardly slunk away from them.

Tarvek sighed. “Would you prefer Agatha look at it?” Zeetha thought about that, technically as her Zumil it would almost be expected, but honestly she didn’t know Agatha well, and even with Agatha’s annoyingly right observation about her collar and warrior symbols she really didn’t want to show her injury to any more people. So she shook her head slowly and sighed.

“Here, I’ll use my batch, save yours,” Tarvek said, pulling the burn and numbing cream vials from his jackets, along with some bandages. Zeetha nodded and shouldered her jacket off, and then began to unwrap the bandages. At first it wasn’t too bad, but as she unwrapped more and more the pain grew. By the time she was done she was sweating again and her teeth were clenched so tight she could hear her pulse.

Tarvek worked quickly, and seeing that she was uncomfortable, kept his distance whenever possible. He grimaced as he got a good look, the first one since he had wrapped it up in the castle days ago. It had been bad then. It was worse now. “She shocked you again didn’t she?”

Zeetha held up a hand with two fingers extended.

“Blue fire,” Tarvek cursed under his breath before taking out his own handkerchief to dab some burn cream on. “This is really not the proper way to treat any burn, let alone one like this. To be honest I’m half tempted to send you straight to the Great Hospital.”

Zeetha made a sour face before considering the idea. That was where the Baron was. She held up her hand and made a couple more signs, her hand trembling near the end as Tarvek dabbed at her neck.

Tarvek caught what she was saying though and responded, not once stalling from his work. “Use you as bait… you mean use you to get into the hospital? Possible I guess, but rather risky. Agatha is a known figure, and I’m not invisible either. I doubt you would be placed anywhere near the Baron, plus it would be useless until we had a cure anyway.”

Zeetha frowned and then winced as Tarvek did one last dab before he turned the handkerchief over and added some of the numbing cream. Within moments parts of her neck began to feel better. Not pain free, not even close, and rather tingly, but better.

“There, done,” Tarvek said as he stepped away to give Zeetha more room. “You want to put on the bandage?”

Zeetha nodded and accepted the clean bandage while allowing the dirty one to fall to the floor. As she placed it Tarvek gave her one more once over and spotted her bandaged arm.

“What about that?”

Zeetha glanced at it as she secured her bandage and waved her hand. It was nothing, just a scratch.

“If you say so,” Tarvek said, not quite convinced, before turning with a stretch, and a wince that he tried to hide. Zeetha, of course saw it, and with another glance also spotted the red on the bandage that showed as Tarvek’s shirt road up. With an annoyed frown she picked up her dirty bandage, grabbed Tarvek by the arm and pulled him from the barn.

“Zeetha, this again, _really_ ,” Tarvek sighed. “Where are you taking me _this_ time?”

Zeetha ignored him and approached Agatha, who was talking quietly with Krosp as she ate. Krosp had happily stolen the rock from Maxim and Oggie, and was basking in the morning sun. Wooster was up as well and looking very nervous sitting on a log between two sulking Jägers. As they approached Agatha looked up. Zeetha stopped, and, not letting go of Tarvek, pointed at him. “Doctor.”

“Huh,” Agatha said, but Tarvek knew what she meant and pulled a bit at her grasp.

“I told you I was fine.” He complained and understanding breached Agatha’s face.

Zeetha shook her head. “Blood.” She added.

Agatha eyebrows furrowed and she looked over to Tarvek. “Here let me see.”

“It’s nothing I swear,” he said quickly but Agatha was already standing. “Really I—”

“I heard you had stitches,” She rebutted. “Let me make sure you haven’t popped any of them. Don’t worry I did take medical classes.” She was already unbuttoning Tarvek’s shirt and he went an interesting shade of white and then red.

“But I…um…Okay,” He stuttered. Zeetha rolled her eyes, tossed her bandages into the fire, and plopped back down to finish carving out her staff.

 

An hour or so later everyone had finished eating and Tarvek had been fully looked over. He had in fact popped a stitch, three actually, which Agatha had quickly replaced. Citing her mother (adopted mother she had quickly clarified at Tarvek’s horrified look) as the source of her skill.

Agatha stretched as she approached her horse, feeling the last few days catching up to her. Horse riding wasn’t her favorite of hobbies but it would be nice to get off her feet for a while—

The sound of wood hitting stone made her jump and she looked up to find Zeetha blocking her path, her new staff swung over her shoulders. Agatha stared. Zeetha grinned, a grin that made Agatha’s skin crawl and dread sneak up her neck. She hadn’t realized Zeetha had _fangs_ before.

“No horse.” Zeetha stated cheerfully. “Test. Earn it.”

Agatha stared in horror. “What kind of test?” She asked not really wanting to know the answer. “How do I earn it?”

Zeetha’s smile changed, from one of cheerful sadism to one of true delight. “Endurance.” She swung her staff at Agatha in what she thought was horribly quick, but to Zeetha was no more than a teasing to a young child. Agatha barely managed to dodge and stumbled to the other side of the path. Zeetha tsk’ed under her breath at the unneeded movement, a simple shifting of the head would have sufficed. “Catch me.” She jogged off down the path.

“Will you stop talking!” Tarvek shouted after her from where he sat on his horse.

Agatha stared after her and then back at her horse, debating just getting on. Krosp made the decision for her by jumping on himself and settling down right in the middle of the saddle.

“Krosp!” She whined in betrayal.

“She right you know. You’re going to need to be able to fight, or at least dodge with what’s coming next.” He flicked his ear.

Agatha’s shoulders slumped. “Does it have to start _now_ ,” She muttered before pausing. “Wait how did you—”

“I was eavesdropping of course.” Krosp said was if it was obvious. “As if I would leave you entirely alone with these two.” Tarvek shifted in the background, trying to pretend he wasn’t there.

Krosp ear twitched again. “You better get moving,” He advised. “I don’t think she’s going to wait for you forever.”

Agatha looked up the path to see that Krosp was right. Zeetha had stooped a couple dozen meters ahead, staff over her shoulders and rocking on her heels. Seemingly merciful enough not to force Agatha to try and catch up with the head start her delay would have caused.

Agatha grimaced but as Maxim threw a rope over her horse from where he was perched on Zeetha’s, and seeing no sign that the Jägers were on her side, she turned and ran towards Zeetha, who waited until she was within five meters before taking off down the path with a really, _really_ big grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> footnotes:  
> 1\. It hadn’t, Oggie had dragged it over after finding it perfect for lounging on, only to have Maxim steal it from under him once he did all the work.


	2. In which Zeetha goes to a bar

The sun was high overhead when Agatha finally collapsed onto the dirt path. Zeetha, who had, after pacing herself to Agatha’s limits, quickly started jogging backwards to give herself more of a challenge, jogged around her downed body. She was humming to herself quietly and brokenly, but joyfully. She hadn’t had a good run in ages and she had missed it. Her legs were beginning to burn though, as well as her lungs, and it had only been a couple of hours at a really slow pace. She was _so_ out of shape, that was annoying. She frowned a bit, but then brushed it off, refusing to let it destroy her good mood.

Behind them came the rest of their party. Tarvek was attempting to sit high and nobly on his horse, something which was undermined by his many stitches. Wooster was at the very end, his entire attention on a map that hid his face. Dimo and Oggie walked not far from him, shooting him amused glances as he talked about the safest route to Mechanicsburg. In-between Maxim rode on Zeetha’s horse, leading Agatha’s, on which Krosp was happily lounging on his back.

“That was a good nap,” He yawned. Agatha made a pitiful whimper. Zeetha finally stopped and poked Agatha on the head with her staff. Another whimper. Faintly concerned she had pushed her new Zumil too hard, Zeetha stepped closer to take a better look. Agatha’s hand shot out and snatched Zeetha’s ankle, making her jump, and because her ankle was rooted to the ground, also making her fall.

The Jägers burst out laughing as Wooster looked up from the map in surprise. Krosp looked smug and a bit proud, while Tarvek was both amused and mildly disproving. Zeetha blinked, but then let out a couple of nearly silent chuckles herself. Agatha just groaned.

“Horse. Now.” She told the dirt. She made a sorry attempt to pick herself up before falling back to the path. “Nevermind, I’m dead. Leave me to the crows.”

Zeetha rolled her eyes and snorted, grabbing Agatha by the shoulders and lifting her to her feet. “Sneaky,” She told her with a blank face. Agatha winced, expecting a rebuttal or worse. Instead Zeetha grinned wildly and helped her over to her horse. “Good, I like that.” Agatha made a face between pleased and nervous and Zeetha bit back another grin. Now she _knew_ she had done the first test right.

Tarvek cleared his throat disapprovingly as Zeetha helped Agatha on to her horse. Zeetha made a face at him and accepted the water offered to her by Dimo. Taking a sip she nearly choked as she forced herself to swallow. Tarvek trotted away looking smug. Zeetha scowled after him and mounted her own horse.

It wasn’t much longer before Wooster trotted up closer, his map folded under his arm, “We will be seeing the main road soon, just over that cliff up ahead.”

Tarvek who was in front reared his horse as he neared the edge. “We have a problem!” He called back in a stage whisper. “Stay _quiet_.” The Jägers went from joking to serious in a blink and slinked ahead. Zeetha dismounted and followed. Up ahead the shoddy path they were following veered sharply to the left and ran parallel to the cliff, slowly lowering until it finally met the main, much more used, road below.

Incredibly used in fact, as a stream of lose formations of soldiers were currently ambling down it towards Mechanicsburg, whose great iron gates that guarded its valley could just be seen in the distance. Every now and again, were small groups of civilians, who walked warily in the center of groups of soldiers. Some care had been taken in making it seem normal, but it was still pretty obvious they were purposely surrounded.

“Hmm.” Dimo scratched at his stubble. “Walking wounded?’ He suggested.

“Maybe,” Tarvek allowed. “Or perhaps a way of sneaking a lot of soldiers into Mechancisburg without panicking too many people.” He studied the parade of people below, and then pointed at one of the civilian groups. “The man in that group, he works with the daytime serving staff.” He pointed to another. “And those two conversing, they’re day guards. None of them would have been in the castle when Lucrezia awakened, and as such imprisoned, but they were wasped, pretty much everyone was.”

“Why would the soldiers be taking them with them?” Agatha asked. “There’s not enough to be refugees.”

“I don’t—” Tarvek paused, and then his eyes lit up. “Of _course_ , they would have seen your message, back when the townspeople were coming at us, before the message was destroyed, they were after _you_. Your message said the Other must be stopped, while also saying she was taking over you. They took it as an order, and because of your message, the wasp in them they will be able to recognize you and react, they’re being used to find _you_.”

He looked at Agatha. “Lucrezia ordered some of them to fight the soldiers, but most of them wouldn’t have been reached. It’s incredibly clever.”

Agatha covered her mouth. “I didn’t mean to make it an order.” She whispered. “I need to go make it… not an order?”

“Eventually sure,” Tarvek said. “But not right now, those soldiers will attack you on sight, perhaps try and kill you.”

“But…” Agatha said automatically, but with no argument. She was well aware Tarvek was right. She wouldn’t be able to help them, not when they were surrounded by soldiers after her. Later, once she was secured in Mechanicsburg, everything would have to happen later.

“At least they don’t look troubled,” Wooster offered peering over her shoulder. “Nervous, but they are surrounded by soldiers. They don’t look as if the order is bothering them.”

“No, it probably only will if they spot you, otherwise they live normally.” Tarvek assured. “The problem is that they will soon be posted all around the entrances to Mechanicsburg, how are we going to get in?”

“We still have the disguises the circus provided,” Agatha suggested. “Would they still work?”

Tarvek shrugged. “I don’t really know. Believe it or not I’ve never seen anyone actually be under any orders, not like this. I know the Geisterdamen can order people around, but they didn’t do it often, to suspicious. Unless the wasp itself has some kind of extra senses it would probably still depends on what they can see of you, but full on hoods or anything like that will draw attention as well.”

Agatha sighed. “I wish some of the circus was here, they could do almost anything with a little makeup. Even change features entirely.”

“Yes, I was very impressed by the touches on your makeup and dress,” Tarvek agreed. Agatha looked at him, startled.

“You noticed?”

“Not at first.”

While they were speaking the Jägers had gathered a little bit away and were discussing something under their breaths. After a moment they broke apart. Dimo looked at Agatha seriously. “Ve might haf a vay, bot it a secret vay, ve need de Mistress permission to tell.” Tarvek, Zeetha, Wooster, and Krosp all turned their heads to look at her. She squirmed, and glanced at each one.

“I guess so…” She looked straight at Tarvek, and then back at Dimo, who had moved and was now standing right next to Wooster. “They’re all I have at the moment… so yes they can know.”

Dimo nodded. “Dere are a lot uf secret tunnels into Mechanicsburg, ve kan take vun uf dem und skip de entrance entirely.”

Wooster clapped his hands. “Splendid, that will make things a lot easier. Which way—” Dimo’s arm came from nowhere and smacked him upside the head. He dropped and Dimo caught him, this time taking care to remember his missing limb.

“Dimo!” Agatha cried in alarm and anger. Zeetha glanced around on edge, at some point Maxim and Oggie had managed to get behind her and Tarvek.

“Hez fine see,” Dimo said offering Agatha a look. “But he iz a sneaky spy. It’z vun tink to know tunnels exist, it’z anodder to know _vere_ tunnels exist.” Agatha grit her teeth, but she had to admit he had a point.

“And what about us,” Tarvek asked glancing at the Jägers behind them. Dimo turned to them and gave them a searching look.

               

“Ve stop here,” Dimo called back from somewhere in front of her. Zeetha couldn’t tell exactly, thanks to having been blindfolded. He was near Agatha and that was all she knew.

“I don’t suppose we can take these off now?” Tarvek asked from behind, sounding frustrated and a bit pained. The last hour had been a very rough ride, especially when blinded.

“Nope.” Oggie answered cheerfully. “Hyu gotz to vait until ve are drew de tunnel. Here, Hy vill help hyu down.” There were a couple of pained gasps, a suspicious thump, and then a long stretch of silence.

“Thanks,” Tarvek wheezed. Zeetha decided to get down herself.

“Found it,” Maxim, somewhat ahead, yelled back. Zeetha turned towards the direction of the voice and stumbled on the rough stones below her feet, it had been forever since she last attempted anything blindfolded. A hand clamped on to her arm and she jumped.

“It’s just me,” Agatha assured. “Careful the footing is horrible here.”

“Dat’s vat makes it sneaky,” Oggie said cheerfully as he came up behind them. The sound of skipping stones following in his wake as Tarvek struggled to keep up. “Nobody vould look here.”

Agatha tugged on her arm and Zeetha followed though she made a face. It was uncomfortable being so helpless, uncomfortable to have to follows another’s lead. The last time she had been blinded she had been heavily drugged with a sack over her head. This was ultimately better, but still…

The warmth of the sun vanished and when Dimo called back his voice echoed. “Vonce ve are in de tunnelz it schouldn’t take too long to get inside, de footink vill be bedder to.” There was a click and then a grinding sound of stone on stone.  

“What about the horses?” Agatha asked at they walked through what must have been a secret door.

“Don’t vorry about dem, ve vill send somebody to fetch dem later,” Maxim assured from nearby.

Agatha stopped and there was a large slam from behind as the door closed. Any light that managed to make it past the strip of blanket obscuring her face vanished. Dimo cursed and after a few flicking noises there was the sound of a lighter, and soon after some light again. A lantern.

“Dey needs to fix dat door,” He muttered under his breath. “Hokay, jus’ dis vay!”

               

It was a good half hour later that Zeetha first began to hear the buzzing of distant conversation. Tilting her head she tried to make it out but all she could tell was that it was loud and still rather far off. It couldn’t be the town itself, they were far too deep for that, even taking into account them having entered the tunnels up in the mountains.

She poked Agatha’s arm. “Hear that?”

Agatha paused just long enough for Zeetha to stumble. She was really getting tired of stumbling. First thing she was going to do once all this was taken cared off was work to get her balance and reflexes back, this was just embarrassing. What would her Kolee say if she could see her now3?

“I don’t hear anything,” Agatha said after a while.

“Hyu gots goot ears,” Oggie pipped in cheerfully from where he shambled along, a long suffering Tarvek being dragged with him. “Ve’re gettink _pretty_ close to Mamma’s, hyu probally hearing dat.”

“Schot up,” Maxim said in reply, a whoosh went past Zeetha’s ear and then a solid thunk as a stone smacked into Oggies horn.

“Oh, goot shot!”

“Schot up hyu eediots, ve’re gettink close,” Dimo yelled back from in front.

The ground under Zeetha’s feet began to change, from only slightly level stone to tightly placed stone brick. The background buzzing became clearer and clearer, though never enough to really understand any words. To Zeetha it sounded a lot like dinner time in the feast halls back home. Some music also drifted, being warped by the tunnel itself into a strange melody. They made a turn and then they all were herded up a creaky old ladder, Tarvek making it _very_ clear to Oggie that he didn’t _need_ or _want_ help.

“Hokay, ve’re here,” Dimo said and the group paused. Zeetha could smell cooking meat, wine and beer which only j _ust_ didn’t overpower the smell of sweat. There was a muffled cheer from a few rooms over. “Hy’ll be right back.”

“Can we take these off,” Tarvek called out as Dimo opened a door.

Dimo paused. “Hy guess, jus’ stay here.” He called back and then he was gone.

Zeetha immediately stripped herself of the blindfold and glanced around the room. They were in a large storage room full of barrel twice as tall as she was, and judging by the smell, full of alcohol.

“I thought the Jägers weren’t allowed in Mechanicsburg,” Tarvek said with a raised eyebrow as he also glanced around the room, blindfold in hand. “Based on how far we went, we almost have to be under it.” Maxim made a slightly concerned face at Tarvek’s observation as he placed Wooster to the ground.

“Ve ken’t, but ve aren’t _in_ Mechanicsburg, ve’re _onder_ it.” Oggie grinned. Maxim sighed. Tarvek thought that over.

“Clever.” Krosp said from atop a barrel, one of his ears perched. There was a slight squeak and he pounced to the other side. “Haha, got you,” he cheered. Agatha pointedly looked away from his direction and the crunching that followed.

“Hy vas _buzy_ vith a patient,” A rough but feminine voice came from outside the door. “Vun dat needs to be back in de action soon. Vhat iz _so_ important dot hyu had to drag me out uf dere.”

“Him? Ha, he vill be fine, he’z already almost healed,” Dimo replied pushing open the door. Behind him was a very large woman who towered over everyone in the room. She was wearing an elegant dress with an apron thrown over it, on which there were some old blood stains. Her hair was up in a fancy updo and was a striking blue. “He’s just takink de opportunity for a nap.”

Mamma gave him a warning look. “De fact dat hyu are right doesn’t—”

She stared into the room and then rounded in on Dimo, her teeth were incredibly sharp. “Hyu brought outsiderz here—” She paused, the cowering Dimo taking the chance to get some space, and sniffed loudly. Then she rounded on the rest of them, who coward back. Krosp happily “strategically retreated” behind the barrels.

Taking another sniff she turned away from the just starting to come around Wooster, gave a dark look at Tarvek without even bothering with a sniff, and then cornered Zeetha and Agatha. With one final sniff her face briefly took on a strange look but she then turned straight to Agatha.

Maxim and Oggie, who had become trapped between Mamma and Agatha, took a step to the side and used their arms to present Agatha to her. “Sooprise!” They said with nervous smiles.

“Gotts leedle feesh in trousers,” She said in awe. “So de rumors _are_ true?”

Agatha thought about that, then back to her days as a college student, and the rumors that spread crazily there. She winced. “Some of them…”

“Hyu are really a Heterodyne?”

“Yes.” Agatha nodded forcefully. “I am Agatha Heterodyne, daughter of Bill and Lucrezia Heterodyne.”

“Und hyu vere a hundred und feety meters tall?”

“Well, that wasn’t _me._ That was a hologram message I sent up, but yes.”

“Hmm… noice, sum of de old Heterodynes liked de holograms.” She paused and looked Agatha in the eye, her voice serious. “Und de Other, hyu Mamma, she iz really in hyu head?”

Agatha winced. “Unfortunately, though I have it under control for now, and Tarvek thinks he can get her out.” Mamma turned and eyed the shifting Storm King.

“Und dat hyu kidnapped de Prince vith plans to take him as hyu’re own.”

“I wouldn’t say kidnapped— What? No I—!” Agatha face went red and she struggled to find words. “NO, he’s just helping me.”

Tarvek, who had also gone red, gaped a second before turning to a snickering, for once vocally, Zeetha. “St-stop talking.” She looked up at him, grinned, and made a hand sign. His face went redder. By this point Oggie had also began snickering, and the other Jägers were looking very amused. Wooster just looked confused.

“What?” He asked still dazed. Krosp snuck out from behind the barrel next to him.

“Probably best you just stay quiet,” he warned.

Mamma eyed Agatha. “Are hyu _sure_.” Tarvek’s face could easily rival his hair by this point, and Agatha’s matched.

“Yes!” Agatha declared and then noticed the twitching lip of the Madam. “That’s mean.” She sulked. Mamma laughed.

Vhoever told hyu Jägers vere noice vas eidder _very_ konfused or _very_ manipulatiff.” She clapped her hands. “Bot Hy tink hyu haf quite a schtory to tell, perheps somevhere more pleasant?”

She led them out of the room and down a hall and away from the cheers and hooting. Agatha looked in that direction. “What’s all that?”

“Sum of my boyz are watchink a show,” Mamma replied. There was a large thump and the sound of shattering china, and then more cheers. “Und gettink a head start on de bar fight hy see,” She grumbled. “Dimo take dem to de meeting room, Hy vill be right dere. Und be _quiet_! Hy’ve gots people resting in dese rooms.” She turned and stormed down the hall. Maxim snickered like a school child watching another be punished.

“Jägers,” Wooster asked. “But the deal was—”

“We’ve been through this,” Krosp yawned. Dimo ignored him and gave Wooster a searching look.

“Vere not in Mechanicsburg,” He explained. “Ve’re onder it. Mamma here keeps an eye on all de injured Jägers vho ken’t fight no more.”

Tarvek scratched his chin. “And serves as a place for the Wild Jägers to meet up, I imagine.” Dimo looked over and nodded.

“It ken be noice to haf a warm meal after months on de road. Und de showz are _very_ noice.” All three Jägers took on happy, leering looks for a moment, before Dimo stopped and opened a door. “Here iz de mettink room.”

The room was large, though a huge round wooden table took up quite a lot of its space. The table itself was sturdy, but also well marked, with claw marks and what looked like dents and repaired cracks from frustrated or angry fists. Its wood was stained from many things: smoke, alcohol or even coffee, as well as blood. There were eight large, sturdy seats around the table, though there was plenty room for more. It was also a bit dusty, with signs of half-hazard cleaning over a long time span. “De Generals sumtimez had meetink’s here, especially after ve kouldn’t go into de Kestle no more.”

“Ja, buts it hazn’t been hyused in a long time,” Mamma replied, leading another female Jäger into the room, who carried a tray of drinks…except something was off about her, her mouth was wide in a toothy grin, and she wore a nice big hat, but she was smaller than any of the Jägers Zeetha had seen (Which granted equaled to four) and the way she walked was off. “Sorry about de dust.”

Tarvek was also staring at the new Jäger girl as he gingerly lowered himself into a seat. “You’re not a Jäger,” He finally concluded, though he still seemed a little uncertain.

She grinned and popped out her false teeth, showing completely normal molars underneath. “Nope darling, I’m a dancer.”

“Sumtimez de best vay to blend in,” Mamma started with a somewhat feral grin in Tarvek’s direction. “Iz to make odders stand out just as moch.”

Tarvek pondered this, and then nodded. “True.”

Mamma looked at him for a moment longer, before taking a seat herself and focusing on Agatha. “Now, vat is _hyu’re_ story.” The pretend Jagergirl took the cue and walked out, closing the door behind her. Zeetha, seeing that everyone else was either sitting or going to sit, took a seat. The table in front of her and the chair below her was surprisingly less damaged than the rest. Though there was a few small burn marks and parts of it was stained from smoke.

“I wouldn’t mind hearing the entire thing myself,” Wooster added. Mamma looked at him and then back to Agatha.

“Perhapz startink vith introductions,” She glanced at Tarvek. “Dis is obviously von uf ol’ Andy’s descendants.” Tarvek looked both a little put out, and a little annoyed about his hero’s nick name. “Dese odders, dough, hy do not know,” She continued glancing from Wooster and then to Zeetha, who could have sworn that Mamma stared at her a moment longer than Wooster. Though it was probably her imagination, Mamma had _very_ piercing eyes.

“Tarvek is the son of Prince Aaronev… which I guess means he’s Prince of Stumhulten now.” Agatha looked over at him. Tarvek shrugged in annoyance.

“Yes, unless the Order has declared me dead in which case…” He scowled. “It would go to my Cousin Twe—er… Martellus.” His eyes went dark and he mumbled to himself. “I’m going to have to stop that.”

Agatha ignored him “This is Wooster, he’s a spy for Her Majesty’s royal government.” Mamma looked at him, Wooster shifted back in his seat.

“Hy ken haf him thrown out if hyu like,” Mamma offered. “Or… oddervise dealt vith.” Wooster went pale.

“What? No, I want him here.” Wooster blinked and color returned to his cheeks. He smiled charmingly. “His Queen was an ally against the wasps with the Empire, and honestly it’s probably better she knows the true story than believe the rumors that’s going to come out of this.” Agatha sighed at the thought. Wooster continued to look pleased.

“Plus he used to spy on the Baron and Gil and we can probably use that,” She added as an afterthought. Wooster’s grin fell and he paled a little again.

Tarvek looked slightly surprised but impressed. “Well thought out,” he told her. Agatha blushed a slight bit.

Mamma nodded as well. “A schmart plan. Hyu gunna need all hyu ken get to go against Klaus.” Agatha looked a little stricken at that idea but shook it off and changed the subject.

“And this.” Agatha turned to look at Zeetha. “Is Zeetha, she was a… er… _servant_ at Stumhulten Castle. She’s from a place called Skifander—”

Mamma scratched her chin and leaned back. “Hoy, yes Hy do belief Hy’ve heard uf dot place.”

Zeetha eye’s popped open and she turned her head to Mamma so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash from her own hair. “Really!?”

Mamma looked at her a bit surprised. “Hoy yes, Hy remember de boyz talkink about it. Dey sometimes told stories to de Jägers when dey vorked on dem.”

“You know where it is?” Zeetha said in a rush, barely letting Mamma stop speaking, not at all caring about her neck.

She blinked. “No… De boyz neffer said.”

Zeetha collapsed back into her chair. Everyone but Agatha looked confused. Agatha gave Zeetha a worried look and explained. “Zeetha doesn’t know where it is. She’s been trying to find out?” Agatha guessed, glancing at Zeetha for confirmation. Zeetha nodded but also shrugged and glanced away. It was a recent quest for answers, but she really did want to know.

Tarvek caught her eye from across the table and made a questioning sign with a hand. Zeetha blinked and then dully remembered that she had never actually told Tarvek that, at least not in Romanian. She waved a “later” sign at him, and slumped into her chair.

He blinked, nodded, and then a strange look came over his face. “Lucrezia knew where it was.”

“Hmm, ja, Hy believe dot adventure vasn’t long after she ‘turned’,” Mamma scowled. “She vent on a lot uf adventures vith de boyz and Klaus around den.” It was quiet for a moment and then Mamma continued. “Dough, honestly vat I really vant to know iz vat happened to Masters William und Barry.

Agatha glanced down and her hands gripped her knees. “I don’t really know, I don’t think I ever really met my father, if I did I can’t remember. When I was little I lived with Uncle Barry, on the road, always traveling. But when I was seven he left me with the Clays, you would know them as Punch and Judy—”

“Ponch and Judy,” Mamma exclaimed in surprise. “Dey disappeared yearz ago, dere still alive?”

Agatha looked as she was about to cry, “N-no, they were killed trying to get me off Castle Wulfenbach, the Baron’s horrible monster Von Pinn—”

“De Nanny?” Mamma interrupted again.

Agatha looked confused as her train of thought crashed. “What?”

“Madam Von Pinn vas de young master’s nanny dot Lucrezia made, she vent mad after his death und ve had to lock her op, Klaus took her ven he kame to take de town.”

“You mean… There was a son?”

Mamma looked startled. “Hyu didn’t know? He died de night de explosion happened.”

“I—” Agatha looked lost at the idea that she had a brother, a dead one, that she hadn’t known existed. Zeetha gently nudged Agatha’s ankle with her toe with some with some understanding. She had a brother out there to, though hopefully hers was still alive. “I didn’t know. I didn’t even know I was Agatha Heterodyne before all this!” Agatha slapped the table, and then slumped. “Before now all I thought I was, was Agatha Clay, the dumb lab assistant.”

It was quiet for a moment and then Agatha sighed. “He was only supposed to be gone for a couple of months. We got three messages from him, one from here—”

“Here!” Mamma looked shocked and then a little hurt. “Are hyu _sure_?”

Agatha nodded, but then shrugged. “We got a Mechanicsburg postcard?”

“Noboddies saw him, hy vould haf known,” Mamma murmured to herself. “But dot meanz he kame here und didn’t effen bother to tell us he vas alive.” She looked a mix of hurt and outraged. “Or dot hyu existed.” Her normal skin color began to take on a purplish red color. Zeetha first thought she was boiling up into a rage, but the color kept deepening until it was certainly not normal, first a bright red and then a deep purple before switching to another color. “He-he lef us…” With a start she seemed to realize what she was doing and the colors disappeared, though she was left with a heavy blush.

“Hy am sorry, Hy gots karried avay. Hy shouldn’t question de Masters.” Mamma apologized, subdue. Agatha looked from her to Dimo, Maxim and Oggie, who also looked varying levels of hurt and sad. Her heart dropped. These Jägers may be monsters, but they were _her_ monsters, and they were hurting.

“It’s okay,” She replied, not quite sure what to say, so she continued. “After that we got a note from Paris, and then nothing for a long time and then –”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are several bits in this chapter that I'm really proud of. Anyone who knows me from Tumblr can probably guess which ones too.
> 
> Footnotes:
> 
> 2\. Probably curse out the people who damn well hurt her daughter, but Zeetha has always been rather tough on herself, and expects others to be even tougher.


	3. In Which Zeetha Hears Rumors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay guys, my internet was out for most of the day. Hope you enjoy!

An hour or so later Agatha began slowing to a halt. She had covered a little of everything, from a small dose of her childhood, to meeting the Baron and her time aboard Castle Wulfenbach. (Her description of Gil had gotten more teasing, and created a very pouty Tarvek). Zeetha knew most of it, so she only listened with half an ear as she played with her staff, lost in her own thoughts.

Then it was on to the circus, before finally what happened in Stumhulten, in which Agatha had Tarvek help whenever things began to get a little hazy. Zeetha perked up a bit, if only to kick Tarvek in the shin whenever she thought he was not saying what he needed to.

Just a moment after Agatha had finished, as they were all sitting in thoughtful silence, there was a very specific knock on the door. At Mamma’s call it opened and in came a woman, who after a second glace Zeetha realized was the faux Jägergirl from earlier, just without the makeup, prosthetics, and outfit, and instead in clothes that wouldn’t look out of place in any Europa town.

“He refused to come down,” She said without any greeting.

Mamma crossed her arms. “Uf coarse he did, ol’hole-head. Neffer trusted our nosez right. Und alvays hated de bar.”

“He said if you really think she is the real deal that you should send her up and he’ll meet her at the corner of Mad and Science. Then he’ll let the Castle decide.”

“Hmph, he’z alvays been maink trouble, effer since he vas a young lad,” Mamma shook her head. “It vould be eazy to just send her drew de tunnels, but _no_ , he haz to make it a show und take her drew de Cathedral, uf coarse.”

“What… who are we talking about?” Agatha asked. Mamma turned to her.

“Carson Von Mekkhan, more or less hyu’re family  seneschal, dough hiz grandson haz taken offer de duties sum.”

“The Von Mekkhan’s? The papers said they were wiped out,” Tarvek mused to himself though not surprised. Zeetha glanced at him, and then back at the discussion before her.

“How are we supposed to go up there without the revenants seeing me?” Agatha asked.

“De corner uf Mad und Science is deep in de residential section, far from any gatez. It vould be unlikely for dem to be vandering around dere, not yet anyvay. Day vill focus on de gates, lodgink, und de Kestle itself.” She tapped a claw to her chin and eyed Tarvek, than Zeetha, and then finally Agatha herself. “Dat said, de tree uf hyu are _very_ memorable, Hy ken lend hyu hoots to hide hyu’re hairs, dat should help. Ve try und encourage tourists avay from de residential sector, und soon all uf Mechanicsburg vill know to keep quiet.”

She turned her head to her employee. “Get dem de hoods and lead dem to Mad and Science before hyu head home. Und _don’_ t take dem drew de bar.” She shivered. “Hy don’t vant to deal vith de chaos _dat_ vill cause, not ven ve are still tryink to be sneaky.”

She returned her attention to Agatha. “Jewel vill take hyu to vere hyu need to go. Carson vill meet hyu dere, no matter how disbelievink he iz, he vill know not to play around vith me. Und den he vill get hyu set up vith de Kestle.”

Mamma saw them out of the room, but as the boyz attempted to follow, blocked their path.

“No Jägers in Mechanicsburg,” She quoted at them, before rounding on Dimo. “Und vat did hyu do to hyurself, let me see.”

Dimo’s cries of “Hy’m fine!” followed them down the hall.

 

After a quick pit stop in a prop room for some hoods, in which they were close enough to the bar that Zeetha could easily make out the Jäger accent that coated every word, Zeetha came to an annoying revelation. Her staff was too bulky to carry without being noticeable, and would draw attention in the streets. Jewel suggested leaving the staff in the prop room, since only the faux Jagergirls and Mamma was allowed back there, so it was unlikely to be broken. Zeetha did so, leaning it up against a wall, and then crossed her arms in frustration. She was getting real tired of being disarmed.

After that they quickly returned to the storeroom, and climbed back down the ladder into the deep tunnel below. Free of blindfolds it was easy to tell that the tunnels had been well cared for and well used. This portion of tunnels was crafted from tightly placed stone, and its walkway dipped in the impression of generations of footprints. Their way was lit by glowing mushrooms of some kind, that Jewel warned them not to touch.

They continued deeper into Mechanicsburg’s underground, up ladders and down them, through doors noticeable and not. Past glowing eyes that Jewel explained were the Monsters of Mechanicsburg, pinned down by the same deal the Jägers were to not enter Mechanicsburg until a new Heterodyne returned, so in such they were trapped in the underbelly of Mechanicsburg Underdark, as leaving would be suicide.

Soon a bit of a buzz could be heard from above, which only became louder as they descend up some stairs to a dead end.  “The corner of Mad and Science is a large marketplace,” Jewel explained as she did something to the stone wall that Zeetha couldn’t see. “Where the residence go instead of trying to deal with the tourists, so it will be busy.” With several clicks the door popped open a slight bit, allowing a slither of sunlight to enter the dark tunnel. With a peek, just in case undesirables were around, Jewel opened the stone door the rest of the way, and held it for the rest to past.

They exited out of an old fortification that had long since been turned into a retaining wall holding back another layer of streets and houses. Beside them leaned two ancient houses that soared into the air for several stories. A bend in front of them blocked their view of the street, but the noise of the market could be easily heard. ~~~~

A brief walk later they paused at the  crossroad of the street and alley. It certainly wasn’t the largest market Zeetha had ever seen, but it was packed with gossiping people, and had a large variety of merchandise, from many types of food to toys. Jewel bid them farewell, with an extra glance at Agatha, as if she wasn’t quite sure what to make of her, and told them that Herr _Heliotrope_ , would meet them soon. Zeetha could only assume from the way she said it that she meant Carson Von Mekkhan.

A single step into the crowds made it quite clear about what the main topic of the gossip was. A bright pink airship hovered not far off the ground, a Heterodyne symbol quite noticeably present.

“What?” Agatha cried as she noticed the ship.

“I don’t—” Tarvek started, only to stop as some gossip nearby drifted past about a woman claiming to be the Heterodyne entering the castle. “Tell me they _didn’t_.”

“Didn’t what?” Agatha hissed at him. Tarvek shook his head, looking quite peeved.

“Remember that other plan I mentioned, with the fake—” he whispered back before thinking better of it. “No, this isn’t the place to talk about this, later. Just keep an eye out for any other information.” Agatha didn’t look happy, but nodded.

There was plenty to listen to, but not much concreate information that wasn’t obviously more fiction than fact. There were rumors and gossip flying everywhere, along with theories and total flights of fantasy.

“I heard a green haired Jäger fought off the Baron,” One man shopping for onions mentioned to the shopkeeper. Zeetha stopped and peeked over.

“Really,” He responded. “I wonder if it was my great, great, great, great uncle Marius.”

“No, they are saying the Jäger was female.”

“Huh, there’s not many of those, maybe it’s a new one?”

“Is that even possible, there hasn’t been new ones for four generations.”

Recognizing that they weren’t giving up anything useful Zeetha turned away, making sure she wasn’t far from Agatha and Tarvek. Krosp had run off on all fours to try his luck further down the market, while Wooster was talking directly to a couple of shopkeepers.

“I heard that she was actually the Baron’s boy in a dress,” Someone said to a group of people. Tarvek stopped short, causing Zeetha to have to dance around him to avoid smacking into him. A look at his face showed a twitching lip and a gleam in his eye.

“Sorry,” he told her. “But the idea of him in a dress…” His face slowly morphed into deep thought. “Hmm, what color would suit him best, and the style would have to—”

Zeetha rolled her eyes and caught up to Agatha, leaving Tarvek to mumble about colors and dress styles on his own. He would catch up as soon as he realized he had been left behind, which wouldn’t take too long, probably. In any case they weren’t going far. What was important right now was finding this Von Mekkhan, or Heliotrope, or whoever of Agatha’s and getting her into the castle before the town was swarmed with wasped look outs. They needed to focus on that—

“Weapons, weapons for sale. New and used! Only the best quality! Axes and Hammers, Daggers and Darts, Swords long, short, and dual!”

Zeetha’s head snapped painfully to the side and she stopped cold. To her left were two small stands that sandwiched the opening of a storefront of a weapon-smith. Scanning the merchandise, Zeetha couldn’t help a big grin, or a bounce on her heels. As she was, mostly unarmed (Except for Dimo’s dagger, which she felt highly unqualified in) a sword would be wonderful, especially if she could find—

Zeetha took a couple of steps forward as she caught sight of a set of dual swords. Plucking them from where they hung in their sheath from a peg, she was surprised to find them relatively light weight. Drawing one she tested its balance and found it good, even though straight hilts were a bit different from what she was, or had been at least, used to. Her mother had preferred them and she had quite a bit of training with them as a young Zumil.

“Ah, yes dat’s a fine pair hyu have there,” The shopkeeper, and perhaps the blacksmith himself observed from over her shoulder in an accent that sounded like a much lighter version of the Jägers. Zeetha froze and realized at once what she was doing. “Masterwork quality even, made from one of my boy’z.” Zeetha stared down at the swords, they really were good swords, hardy and well made, she could tell. Nothing on her old pair, but it really wasn’t fair to compare them to Sparkwork, let alone from a gifted blessed in blacksmithing.

Work like this was expensive, and even if it wasn’t, she had absolutely no coin. She wasn’t even sure what kind of money the people of Europa _used_. It had never come up before.

Embarrassed, Zeetha carefully placed the swords back on their peg, and with an awkward bow of apology towards the bewildered blacksmith, Zeetha slunk off without a word. To be completely honest, she was well over due for another dose of numbing cream.

Steading herself as she returned to Agatha, who gave her a strange look, Zeetha reminded herself that she had been relying on her brawling for years now, and that she was probably incredibly rusty (forget how good the Geisterdamen sword had felt, no matter how awkward it had been), and that it was likely for the best that she continue to rely on her body for now, until she had time to practice—

“Where did Agatha go?” Tarvek asked while nudged her in the arm. Zeetha blinked and suddenly realized that while Tarvek had caught up Agatha had somehow disappeared. Cursing herself internally Zeetha glanced around as quickly as she could do without drawing attention. What kind of Kolee was she that she could lose her Zumil this fast, and in a place that was so potentially dangerous to her. What if she had been taken? What if she ran into trouble? She could barely punch without hurting herself, what would she do if—

There! Zeetha sighed in relief as Agatha’s hooded form came running up to them, her cloak pulled over her arms as if she was huddled in on herself.

“Agatha don’t run off like that,” Tarvek hissed as she reached earshot. “Are you okay?”

“Sorry, I’m fine,” She said. “I just had to get this, I saw you looking at it.” She turned to Zeetha and let her cloak flutter open. In her arms were the two swords she had been observing earlier. Zeetha stared wide eyed at them, and then up at Agatha as she offered them to her. “I saw you fight Vrin with that broom, you were way better than Tarvek.” Tarvek blushed a bit. “You normally fight with swords, don’t you?”

After a moment to comprehend Agatha’s words, and her gift, Zeetha nodded and shrugged at the same time. The best she had at a “Yes, but…” At another urging from Agatha, Zeetha took the swords from Agatha’s hands, and then so suddenly that she didn’t notice what she was doing, pulled Agatha into an enormous hug.

Agatha blinked in confusion, but hugged her back. Zeetha’s eyes went wide as she realized what she was doing, though she didn’t let go right away she did tense up.

“Your welcome,” Agatha tried as Zeetha slinked away looking a bit stunned. “Are you alright?”

Zeetha nodded, still looking stunned.

Tarvek looked stunned as well, “Did you steal that?”

“What! No!” Agatha gave him a how-could-you-suggest-that look. “Master Payne gave me some gold. I thought this would be a good use.”

Zeetha blushed and turned away from the two. Swords grasped in hand, hidden under her cloak, she returned back to the crowd, trying to compose herself.

Listening in she caught snippets of many other things. The Baron had been injured and was in the hospital. Something about his airship crashing on route to the hospital. Plenty of versions of Bill and Barry coming from heaven to try and stop the fighting. The Pink Heterodyne girl and if she was the real deal or not. _Lots_ of arguing over different opinions.

That the Baron had degreed that The Heterodyne girl had to marry the Prince to make up for shooting him, something that had both Tarvek and Agatha blushing and looking away from each other.

And a lot of vaguely concerned, trying to joke but failing, talk about the Heterodyne and the Other. People were obviously trying to play it off, but were nervous none the less, a possible Heterodyne at last, but perhaps one not in control of herself? It was obviously bringing a lot of mixed feelings out.

“I don’t think anyone knows what to think,” Wooster observed as he slunked back into their little group.            

“Of course not, they have been let down quite enough already,” A gravelly voice said from behind. The group spun to find a nicely dressed, short, old man standing in front of them. He was almost entirely bald, though he covered his head in a hat, and stood with a presence that was hard to explain. Even though he stood in the middle of the street, people walked around him without incident or annoyance. “So you are the one Mamma thinks so highly of.” He gave Agatha a long look. “Hmph, we’ll see about that. Come, we need to talk.”

“Come where?” Krosp asked, slinking out of the crowd, and standing up straight. Carson jumped slightly in surprise, but quickly brushed it off with a glare in Krosp’s direction.

“Don’t try and boggle me Mister Talking Cat. This is Mechanicsburg and you are by no means the oddest thing in this town!” He looked back towards Agatha with a searching look before grunting. “Where? Somewhere where we can speak privately for one.” His voice rose a bit at the end, and the group was suddenly made aware about how the crowd nearest to them had gotten suspiciously quiet. In a snap people were moving again, and loud gossip poured. A hastily made path up the street formed as well.

“After you,” Carson suggested.

Agatha slowly made to follow the path, and Carson followed right on her heel, neatly cutting off Zeetha and Wooster who had been following right behind. Concerned the group sped up to follow Carson as diligently as he was following Agatha, and keeping just as much of a watch on him as he was on her.

The streets didn’t go quiet as they passed; in fact they seemed to get louder. People purposely diverging their attention as much as possible from the group, talking for once, not about the many rumors spreading around, but about the weather, and prices, and other small talk they usually saved for the tourists.

Carson directed Agatha up and away from the market and down an alley. He paused at the dead end and pressed several bricks in a particular order that Zeetha only partially grasped. The wall squeaked down in a shower of dust. He tisked in disproval, and motioned for the group to go ahead into the darkness.

Seeing no other option they did so, he following at the far end. With a flick of a match Carson lit a lantern hanging near the door, and the group realized that they had entered a dead end. The door slammed shut behind them

Carson leered grimly. “Now we can talk.”


	4. In Which Klaus wakes up

****

Darkness.

Light.

Darkness Again.

More light. Ah good, he was still alive then. Now just what had put him out? Had Dr. Merrliwee shot him again? No certainly not, his sickness protocols forbid that quite certainty. Then what had he—

Memories flooded back to him and he involuntarily stiffened and made a small noise. His eyes shot open and he was relived to find himself staring at the familiar ceiling of the Great Hospital. Still it wasn’t until Gil stepped into his view that he allowed himself to relax.

“I see you’re awake father?” He stated looking quite pleased. The Baron, his mind still a bit hazy, wondered just how bad he must have been for Gil to look like that. He tried to ask but nothing came out. Gil reached out of his view and brought a cup of cold water to his lips. Klaus carefully sipped at it and soon found it to be empty. Slowly he ran a tongue over his lips and tried again.

“I must be,” He whispered, trying to take stock of his own injuries and failing, everything hurt too much to be exact. “Dreams don’t hurt this much.” He closed his eyes. “How long?”

“Two days.”

Klaus thought that through, two days was a long time for him, especially if Dr. Sun had been caring for him. “Damage?”

Gil rattled off his injuries as if it was a school child, and his injuries the periodical table. Obviously he had been worried to have memorized them so well. Klaus couldn’t help but have mixed feelings at that idea.

“I had worse,” Klaus replied. At least this time his memories had remained more or less intact. He thought back, He had responded to Balan’s Gap, Lucrezia had taken over her daughter, a real pity. He would admit that he had reacted poorly to her presence. Dupree’s report had, to be honest, terrified him. But now it seemed she, the daughter of his friend Bill, and raised by Punch and Judy, had been completely innocent before he chased her off the castle. A self-fulfilling prophesy indeed.

But that was in the past.

“Balan’s gap,” He asked Gil sharply, turning his head as much as possible to catch his eye. Gil grimaced, Klaus expected the worst.

“Contained.” He answered shortly. Klaus went to start listing what needed to be done, but Gil went on. “In addition to the forces already there, with the exception of the walking wounded making their way here, I’ve reinforced them with the 13th Chemical Division, the 2nd Armored Infantry Battalion, and the 117th Interceptors. I placed the Seismic Rangers and Chained-Fire Horseman on picket, and the Heliolux Airfleet is maintaining communications. We have secured the palace, as well as the Mechanical Princess Anevka the only Sturmvoraus so far in custody. Only a small section of the town remains hostile, most of the revenants seem happy to comply with us, and act as if their orders are to find Ag—Lady Heterodyne, whatever that means…” He finished—and waited.

That was… exactly what he would have done. Why had Gil seemed so worried then, first time nerves perhaps? It was the first time he had truly handled such a thing, and he had done it well. Klaus was very proud, though he kept if off his face, and instead asked another question.

“And is she here?”

“I don’t believe so, I’m almost certain she should be on her way to England by now,” Gil replied. “There is an imposter though, but my sources say that it can’t be her. The wasped people didn’t react and her description is wrong. I believe she is part of a larger plot taking advantage of your injuries, she has minions, equipment, up to and including her own airship.”

Klaus thought on this. “Likely, but… Lucrezia has already managed to take over her daughter’s mind, who’s to say that this woman is not also her.”

Gil looked uncomfortable, and busied himself with his father’s chart. “Are you sure Agatha has been taken over, her message implies that she was still fighting, and how the wasped populace is acting… it’s not _anything_ like how the Other would want.”

“She _has_ been taken over, she _attacked_ me!”

“Father,” Gil hesitated, but then marched on. “Reports are vague from that incidents, most of the soldiers that were with you are still fighting, unconscious, or dead, but… they all state that she wasn’t being hostile when _you_ attacked _her_.”

Klaus opened his mouth only to nearly choke. He attempted to reach a hand up to his throat but that didn’t work either. Of course, he had expected this, he had long since knew some of the wasped people on Castle Wulfenbach, knew of their loyalty and bravery, but they hadn’t come forward about being wasped. They couldn’t, obviously there were some ingrained orders built in.

“You have to believe me,” he pleaded, causing Gil to jump. “She is Lucrezia. I talked to her! She didn’t even try to deny it.” Frustration took over his tone, and his voice gathered a bit of a spark tint. “And even if she wasn’t, she’s a Spark, she’s dangerous. Do you know that every single woman I have ever known with the Spark has tried to kill me!”

Gil looked unimpressed, dropped the chart, and crossed his arms. “Father, I think that’s just _you_. How many women that you have been involved with, _without_ the Spark, have tried to kill you?”

Klaus paused. Part of his brain attempted a count, but as soon as it got into the double digits he shoved it aside. “I don’t see what that has to do with anything,” He muttered. A point had been made, perhaps, but it was far from what they needed to talk about. He paused and then sighed.

“I’m sorry. I did this.” He started. Gil blinked in surprise and looked over to him. His face was sad and resigned. “Dupree, on one of her last patrols, saw something, like a hole in space, or perhaps a portal of some kind. In it was your Agatha, and _you_ , in _Geisterdamen_ clothing. She saw this twice, in two different occasions, one in which also had a Geisterdamen, a Geisterdamen that referred to her as _Mistress_.”

Klaus sighed. “The Other’s technology has always looked like Lucrezia’s, but it was always so much more advanced. When her identity was reviled, and Dupree recognized her from the portal, I jumped to conclusions. I acted poorly.” Punch and Judy were never going to forgive him once this was over. He didn’t think he deserved it anyway.

Gil stared at him, unhappy with how logical his thought process had been. “That Agatha, as Lucrezia’s daughter, may have been the Other all along?”

“And that she was acting from some unknown time in the future,” Klaus added, “since you were with me while this was going on.”

Klaus paused, and then looked at Gil. His face was incredibly apologetic, and more vulnerable than Gil had ever seen. “Now I believe that assumption was wrong, but that also that I have started a self-fulfilling prophesy of sorts. I _am_ sorry that this happened to her Gil, I take full responsibility, but it has happened. Lucrezia has taken control of her. Lucrezia _needs_ to be _stopped_.”

Gil was quiet for a long moment, his head bowed. Klaus was unable to see his eye, or much of his face at all, and in such could tell nothing of what Gil was thinking. Finally Gil sighed; a deep full body sigh and looked at Klaus straight in the eye.

“I comprehend what you’re telling me Father.” He said, sadly but with conviction. His face closed off from any emotion.

It was like a great weight had been taken of his chest, and finally Klaus allowed himself to truly relax, if only for a moment. “Good, very good. Now tell me what you have done so far.”

Gil straightened. “Castle Wulfenbach is not here yet. I have closed the city’s gate and established a perimeter. I am reinforcing the garrison. I was trying to do it subtly, with troops routed out of Balen’s gap, pretending, mostly, to be walking wounded. This will also allow us to secure the main road. Since most of the wasped population is after Ag—the Other instead of working with her I’ve collected a few small groups and had them routed here with the soldiers. They will be able to recognize her even when the soldiers can’t. They’re being kept in small groups and surrounded by guards so even if she did get to them they could be taken down quickly.

“Tourists and non-residents are being urged to leave. No one can enter the town without being a current resident. The garrison here was never very large, and the false Heterodyne neutralized the Black Squad. We haven’t… found them yet.

“With the remainder I’ve reinforced the gates and entrances we know about, but I doubt we have found them all. I’ve put a call on the false Heterodynes airship, but since we have no air support we haven’t been able to bring it down. Since it has no weapons of any kind I haven’t made it a priority. I have the remainder of the troops patrolling the streets and guarding the armory. I thought about activating the Mechanicsburg militia but considering the… circumstances thought better of it.”

Klaus nodded throughout this. “Why are you still here? Certainty there are better command posts.”

“Word of your state has spread.” Gil said frankly. “I feared assassination.”

Klaus snorted. “Any attempts?”

Gil’s eyes drifted to the side briefly, Klaus tried to glance at what he was looking at but his range of view was minimal. “A few. Nothing worth mentioning.”

Klaus pondered this, debated on what a “few” and “Not worth mentioning” meant with what he knew of his son’s performances in Paris, and decided that it was more than he would have expected. “The work of your imposter’s people?”

To Klaus surprise Gil shook his head. “No… I don’t think so. They have all been very disorganized, just random enemies trying to take advantage of the situation. I believe the imposter is also trying to take advantage of the situation, but they are much more organized. They are fallowing a plan.” He paused in thought. “Killing you would seem to be a necessary step but it has been long enough that I have to conclude that out imposters haven’t tried too.”

Klaus frowned. “That dose seem sloppy.”

Gil nodded. “Yes, and I haven’t seen sloppiness anywhere in this. No, if they want the Empire…” Gil went quiet and Klaus looked over to him in worry. He was staring out the window. “If they… _want_ the Empire…”

Klaus, used to dealing with people when they were being clever, was very good at knowing when to be quiet and when to push. After Gil didn’t speak for a bit he cleared his throat.

Gil spun around. “But what if they don’t want the Empire, at least not yet, what if they only want Mechanicsburg!” He bounced over to the door of Klaus’ room before he could speak, slammed it open, and called out. “Get Dupree in here now!”

Then he bounced back over to his side, making an obvious checkup on the medical equipment attached to him, and then did something similar to the walking stick in his hand. Klaus didn’t know what it did but it certainly was Spark work. He was tempted to ask but there were other priorities.

Perhaps after this was over he could, it would be good for the two of them to sit down and just relax, if he could ever find the time.

“I’m afraid Father I must go, when the main attack happens it will not be here.” Klaus blinked, lost. A feeling he wasn’t used too.

“Explain.”

Gil waved over to the window and for the first time Klaus realized an airship hovering outside was a startling pink, he stared at it for a moment, but was brought back as Gil continued speaking. “These people had a false Heterodyne all prepared. She was trained, rehearsed. Now while they could have conceivably known about Agatha, they couldn’t have known about you being hurt. They couldn’t have planned for that.” Klaus was surprised when Gil gave a gentle squeeze to his hand, and also quietly touched. “We aren’t even a part of this yet. It’s not a direct attack against the Empire, it’s an outflanking maneuver. They’re after _legitimacy_.”

Klaus couldn’t help but interrupt. “Claiming to be the Heterodyne won’t give them that.”

Gil nodded. “Not directly no but…” he paused to organize his thoughts. “You’ve opposed order, Father. But before you did that you were a minor house. Before the Empire—“

“It was chaos. Everyone was fighting each other the fools.” Klaus snorted, old annoyances and anger creeping in.

“Yes, but before that, before the Long War.”

Klaus started, still lost on what Gil was trying to tell him. “Before? Why—you’d have to go back to the Storm King, but even—” A thought struck him. “Oh! The girl!”

“The Heterodyne Gil,” Gil pushed.

Klaus stared at him. “Ridiculous! That’s practically a fairy tale!” Even as he said that the logic hit him like a brick, and it didn’t seem quite so ridiculous. “Who would—”

“Everyone!” Gil jumped in. “They have a pet Heterodyne heir and fairy tales have a great deal of power because everyone would have heard of them! If they do this right, Europa will submit to them and cheer while doing so, but first they need Mechanicsburg!”

Klaus nodded. Gil’s reasoning was sound, and a rush of energy hit him. It had been awhile since the last good insurrection, and he always enjoyed those. It kept the troops busy, and they were always more likely to allow him to get some personal fighting in. This one seems particularly tricky and Klaus was eager to begin tackling it. “The first thing I should do—“

Klaus gasped in pain as Gil wacked him piteously on the chest. His ribs felt like he was on fire. As soon as the spots were gone he looked up at Gil with wide eyes. Gil looked down at him sternly.

“You _must_ rest! At least for now! _I_ will deal with this.”

Klaus angrily went to refuse, only to wince back as Gil raised his hand again. When had that boy gotten this kind of nerve? Good, it would serve him well later in life. Grudgingly Klaus assessed his injuries again himself and had to reluctantly admit that chances he could even walk at this point was incredibly unlikely. He would be nothing but a liability in whatever was coming next. Pity. “Very well.”

Gil looked pleased, and surprised that it had worked. Klaus huffed; he wasn’t _that_ bad a patient, no matter what Dr. Merrliwee said.

“But there are two last things,” Klaus started. Gil’s pleased expression dropped at his father’s tone of voice. “One, you must not assume that the Lucrezia in Miss Clay is not here. She lived here for several years and likely knows more of the entrances than we do. You must be on constant guard, do you understand?”

Gil paused, and then nodded. “Yes Father.”

“And the last thing, and this is important,” Klaus paused and thought back, past being wasped, past attacking Lucrezia, to a girl with green hair who had attempted to reason with him, as misinformed as she was. Who he was almost sure had patched him up after he had been hit with a chicken house of all things. Who had called herself Zeetha.

Zeetha.

Neither of his twins had been officially named when he had left1. Though they had planned names2 Zanta had wanted to name Gil, then called Demor3, Gimesh, based on an old story she had found in the back of the palace’s library as a child. Gimesh had been a twin, and he and his brother Enken, had many adventures together, and never once had they faced any hatred for being twins. She had taken the story as hope that the twin hatred fad would fade out. After he had left, naming him that seemed to risky, it was to foreign and a beacon to any Skifandrian who would hear it, but to respect Zanta’s wish as much as possible he had named Gil after the version of the story he knew, even if a lot of the meaning was lost.

But Ba’in, little, tiny Ba’in was going to be named Zeetha. He had no idea if she had been. He had been the one to pick it out, with a lot of help from Nod, Zanta’s brother, so Zanta may have rejected it after he left, but Ba’in _was_ going to be named Zeetha.

And it was a very rare, almost taboo thing, to have more than one person alive in a family with the same name, and that girl had definitely been of the War Family.

It had never once occurred to him that this girl he had been chasing for the last three years may have been his daughter. It had never really drawn on him that his little girl, who, the last time he had seen her, he had been able to hold in the palm of one hand, was the same age as Gil, had grown up. Generally he tried not to think of her at all, it hurt too much and made him lose focus. But if she was— No.

He didn’t know that yet. Klaus tried to reassure himself. But he couldn’t help but think back, to the quiet words of “Daughter of Chump.” But they had been mixed with images of Zanta laughing about his name, as well as giant images of Bill and Barry in the sky, so he was certain that had been nothing but a hallucination, a dream, his brain making the same connections then as it did now.

“Father,” Gil asked a worried tint to his voice. Klaus blinked and realized he had been lost in thought. “Are you alright—?”

“The Heterodyne Girl, the real one, not the imposter. She has a girl with her, with long green hair.”

“Green hair?” Gil asked intrigued.

Klaus nodded. “Yes, a deep green. Be careful. She is a formidable fighter.” Klaus hesitated, an uncharacteristic action for him. He really wasn’t sure how to word this warning. If she was who she may be, the chances she was here to kill Gil were incredibly slim. His eyes shifted sideways. “She may have originally come here to kill you.”

“Kill _me_! What did I do?” Gil asked with the voice of someone who had dealt with _far_ too many assassination attempts lately and was getting quite bored of them.

“Absolutely _nothing_!” Klaus roared. Gil jumped and Klaus himself blinked in surprise. He had not meant to do that. It had _hurt_ to do that.

After a moment of silence Gil narrowed his eyes down at him. “Father, what did _you_ do?”

Klaus had no idea where his son had gotten this kind of faith in him. Oh well, this time he would happy to take it. “I kept you alive.” He told him softly, looking up at Gil with all the pride he had.

Gil looked unimpressed. Fair enough, it was an incredibly vague answer, especially since he didn’t have any of the background details. For a moment Klaus was attempted to explain in full, but Gil really didn’t have the time, if he was right. It would have to come later. It should have come sooner.

“That said, if she _hasn’t_ been sent to kill you, she may be a very important ally.” Klaus paused, and then continued, solemn. “One who has been in a bad situation the last few years.”

Gil’s unimpressed look faded and once again he was intrigued. “Situation?”

“When I saw her, at the caravan fields, she was wearing a damaged, but modified Stumhulten guard uniform… and had a metal collar around her neck.”

Gil’s eyes widened as the implications drew on him. “Do you think—?”

“I don’t know, I was too far to be sure,” and during the fight to busy focusing to check. She really was an incredible fighter. Quite a few of his lacerations had come from her. “But even if she isn’t, I believe she may be under Lucrezia’s control.” He winced and thought back to her pleas as they fought. “Though I believe she may have been an ally of your Agatha while she was still fighting, the chances she has been wasped or otherwise fooled is high.”

Klaus closed his eyes; exhaustion was beginning to take over. “So if she dose attack you, _if_ you can, try and take her alive.”

Gil was quiet for a long moment, long enough that Klaus opened his eyes to check he was still there. He was, and he was looking down at him with an unreadable expression. “Hmm.”

“This girl… dose she mean something to you?” Gil asked slowly. Klaus nearly choked. For a second he was tempted to tell him, ‘perhaps yes, and if so she means quite a bit to you as well’ but no, there wasn’t the time.

“I don’t know for sure, but there may be a chance she means a lot to someone I know.” It was the truth, a cop out, but the truth. Klaus let his head fall back and reclosed his eyes. “And now, you are right, I need to rest.”

For a second there was silence and then, “Confound it Father!” Gil howled. Klaus suppressed a smirk. He had to admit, if he was in Gil’s shoes he would be just as frustrated.

He cracked an eye open and glanced at Gil. “And you have work to do.” He closed the eye and sighed. “When you return I will tell you anything and everything.”

Gil went quiet, and then he asked in a small voice, one that reminded Klaus of when he was much smaller, “Everything?” His breath caught, “even about mother?”

Guilt ate at Klaus. That, _that_ was the first question that popped into Gil’s head when given free reign… He should have told him years ago, at least some of it, when he had first began asking. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t been able to keep secrets, he had done a remarkable job at that. And it wasn’t as if Zanta had been the one calling for his death, no, she had loved Gil. It had just been so hard, but that was a horrible excuse.

Klaus nodded wearily, “Anything you want.” He sighed, “But especially about your mother.”

Gil took a deep breath. “Then rest up father, I have many questions.”

The corners of Klaus’ mouth quirked up slightly. “Don’t I know it?” He whispered. Again his eye opened, but this time his look could only be described as soulful. “But for pity’s sake—Dupree.” It wasn’t as if he didn’t like the girl, when he was healthy he even enjoyed the fact she had little fear of him in a guilty pleasure kind of way, but to be in an enclosed room with her for hours, with her non-stop chatter… Othar would be better.

Oh god he didn’t mean that, please oh please don’t summon him. He couldn’t stand it.

Gil smiled. “Oh you have my sympathy, but she’ll keep you alive.”

That was true, she was one of the better fighters he had. That didn’t stop him from debating if Gil was trying to punish him from holding back information. And also what was the quickest and easiest way to knock himself out that wouldn’t bring Dr. Sun’s ire on to him. Klaus supposed he could just ask for a sedative, Dr. Sun would likely happily oblige.

“But my will to live…”

“For what it’s worth, her jaw has been wired shut.”

Klaus brightened immediately. “Good heavens. I wouldn’t miss that for the world.” Then a touch of fatherly concern hit him. “Is her jaw really that damaged?” He had been out two days, and Bang had been with him in the fight. For her to be in Dr. Sun’s care and _still_ have her jaw wired shut…

Gil glanced notably away from him and to the machines.

Klaus frowned. “Gilgamesh?”

The boy—no young man shrugged. “I never said her jaw was _damaged_.”

Klaus blinked, and then reconsidered what Bang being in the care of Dr. Sun would mean, and just how little patience the old man had at times. Then he couldn’t help but attempt to chuckle. It didn’t go well and he grimaced. “It really hurts when I do that,” He complained.

There was a tapping at the door and Gil went over to check it out. After seeing it was just Dr. Sun and Dupree, Klaus let his eyes fall shut once again. With half an ear he listened into Gil’s conversation with Dupree, but mostly he organized his thoughts, he had a lot to get done, resting or no. Really he should focus on the Empire but…

He made his decision in time to hear Gil tell Dupree to keep her trash hidden from him. Hmph, if Gil thought a couple of dead bodies would bother him he had another thing coming. Gil then rushed out of the room. He opened his eyes to spot Dupree staring in amazement out the door. Great, now he was curious, he really wished he could easily see into that corner.

“Dupree,” he called out. Durpee’s head whipped back to look at him, seeming surprised that he was awake. “Is their guards outside the door?” he asked

Dupree blinked but nodded.

“Good, fetch me one, bring them here—” He paused remembering Gil’s orders. It was always better to be safe than sorry with Dupree. “And _don’t_ kill them.” Dupree hesitated for a second, but a forceful look from Klaus had her leaning around the doorframe and pulling in a surprised and terrified solider by the sleeve. It was obvious that he recognized her, and that he was about to need a change in pants.

**“You!” Klaus called out as best he could. The solders eyes darted to him, and he didn’t look any less terrified. “I have a job for you; I need to gather up a few people.”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was probably my favorite chapter to write thus far. I don't know why but Klaus was surprisingly easy and fun to write. I very much did not expect that (Now if only his son would behave for me.)
> 
> Footnotes:  
> 1\. In Skifander it was considered unlucky to name a child before they had lived a month, a holdover tradition from centuries past when infants were much more likely to die. If one goes back far enough and it was a year or even two before children were officially named. So instead babies are given baby names, generally silly nicknames, often based off of features of the child. Zanta's baby name for instance was Kamor Aka, Dark One, do to her hair being a much darker shade than any of her siblings.
> 
> 2\. Which they weren’t really supposed to do, which meant everyone did it.
> 
> 3.  
> Demor: Aka Surprise One, do to being the second born.  
> Ba’in: Aka Spikey (From Ba’gin (Spike-like)) do to already having a good chuck of hair that spiked up at birth.


	5. In Which Zeetha tries out her new swords

“Hmm,” Carson leaned back on his heels, his face thoughtful. He had been asking question after question for the last half-hour and Agatha was starting to get nervous. Many of the questions he had asked she couldn’t answer, about her uncle, her father, or even her mother. A lot about her mother in fact. She couldn’t help but feel that she was failing his test. They hadn’t yet even gotten into where she had been all these years.

“Alright, I believe you.”

Agatha blinked. “You believe I’m a Heterodyne?”

Carson frowned. “No, I believe you aren’t Lucrezia Mongfish.” Agatha went quiet her eyes going wide. “I dealt with her for many years, and unless she has gained leaps and bounds in her acting abilities, you aren’t her. She can never resist gloating about herself, but you didn’t do any of that.”

“As for you being _my_ Lady, well,” He frowned. “I’m willing to listen to your tale. That is all I will give you.”

Agatha sighed a bit in relief that was echoed by her companions who had circled her when the door had gone up: Krosp in front, Tarvek and Zeetha to her side, and Wooster behind. Carson glanced at all of them, in their travel weary form, and nodded. “But perhaps we should do it somewhere nicer.” He suggested as the door re-opened.

“So, test was only to see if I was my mother?” Agatha asked as they stopped right outside, blinking in the bright light.

“Hmm, yes, you can imagine the rumors being spread about you right now.” He peered at her. “I will be relying on you to tell me which ones are _true_ and which ones are _not_.” He turned from her and began leading them away, down an ally and onto another, less crowded street that ran parallel to the river. “Had I believed you were her, or had been unsure, one press of a button and a sleeping gas would have flooded the room, in which I, of course, am immune.”

Tarvek nodded his head. “Clever. I imagine you have several places like that around town?”

“None so… un-lethal,” Carson said with a lion’s grin. They fell into silence as they walked.

For the first time Zeetha got a good chance to observe the town. It was built in many layers, unlike Stumhulten which was mostly flat or hilled. In many places bridges and stairs connected neighborhoods instead of streets. Most of its streets were narrow and buildings densely packed, its houses almost all several stories high.

Beside her a large, rapid filled river, ran past. The river Dyne she believed it was called. In the distances she could see smokestacks that signified a large factory, and a red tower that dominated another corner.

Castle Heterodyne itself loomed above on a thin mountain. In fact it seemed to Zeetha as if a larger mountain had once stood it this place, but the Heterodynes of old had beaten all but what they wanted down, to makes sure they were at the top. It was foreboding, built out of dark stone in a collection of styles and housing large metal gates. It was also incredibly damaged. Towers leaned heavily; several holes had been blasted into its wall’s showing off large brass gears that were slowly showing sign of weathering. Chunks of debris, that looked small at first, until one released the holes in them were windows and they were in fact several stories tall, littered the crag all the way down to the moat. About halfway down the Crag the enormous face of a gargoyle spat out the frothing water in a waterfall of perpetual mist that became the River Dyne.

They had stopped to take the castle and its damaged glory in. Carson waited until Agatha had her fill. He himself looked up sadly at the wreckage. Wooster looked as if he wanted to say something, but Carson’s presence made him keep his tongue.

Finally Agatha turned away from the castle and to Carson.

“Yes, that is the Castle. Are you still sure you want it?” He asked.

Agatha glanced at it one more time, and then looked back at Carson, her face firm. “I knew it was bad, but to be honest, from all that I have heard, I suspected a lot worse.”

He snorted. “You don’t know the half of it,” he assured her as he led her away. Agatha refused to let that comment bother her as they approached a small building, a sign above the door called it the Sausage Factory. To everyone’s surprise it was not a butchers shop, or anything of the sort, but instead a large and airy café.  It’s gold and red tiled floors were covered in small carved tables which were themselves covered in crisp white tablecloth. Booths littered the wall, with tall backs and privacy screens. Along the back was an elaborate glass covered machine, along with shelves lined with bottles and rows upon rows of porcelain mugs. Under the counter was a display case that showcased: fruits, cheese, quiches, and many, many different pastries of all kinds.

An amazing smell hit them as they walked through the door, somehow the shop had combined the odors of baking bread, warm butter, chocolate, nutmeg, cinnamon, and fresh coffee into one. It was so amazing in fact that Zeetha stopped dead and took a deep appreciative sniff. It reminded her of the kitchens back home. She could live here for the rest of her life and be happy. It also made her stomach gurgle; a little beer and a couple spoonful’s of porridge were not enough food for a Skifandrian warrior at all, and she was beginning to feel the effects.

Tarvek seemed to agree to a degree, “You could bottle this and sell it,” he mused testing the air. One of the waitresses nearby giggled, and even fluttered her eyes at him. Tarvek went a bit red as he tried to absorb that.

Another deep breath brought Zeetha down to reality as she forced herself not to wince. She was beyond pass due for another dose of numbing cream and eating suddenly seemed much less attractive, but oh the _smell_. She pouted in resignation and followed the rest of the group over to a booth occupied by one, well dressed, young man around Tarvek’s age talking to a woman with a clipboard.

“This fool is my Grandson, Vanamonde,” Carson introduced sourly to Agatha. The young man glanced up and quirked an eyebrow at his presence. The woman glanced between the two, and at a look from Carson, made herself scarce.

“Hello Grandfather, am I part of your tour now?” He asked with an amused grin that he attempted to hide by sipping at his mug.

“You could be,” Carson said in a low voice. “You never leave this table!”

Vanamonde looked surprised. “Why would I, the seats are comfortable, everyone knows where to find me, and lovely young ladies bring me coffee all day.” He glanced over at Agatha with a charming smile. “Which you simply _must_ try!” He waved them to the other seats in the booth. “Please sit down. Don’t wait for my grandfather to do the polite thing. He rode with the Jägermonsters in his youth and never quite got over it.”

Carson scowled but slid into the booth next to his grandson. The rest of the party quickly jumped to sit as well. The benches were wide, but not wide enough, and Wooster was resigned to sit next to the Von Mekkain’s. Just as everyone had found their seats, mugs, tall silver pots full of coffee, and several trays of assorted pastries were quickly placed in front of them. Zeetha stared at them mournfully as the other began to pick at them. They looked delicious.

Once everyone had been served a hot drink, and a bowl of cream had been acquired for Krosp, Vanamonde leaned back and placed his fingerprints together. “I assume you’re here about the heiress?” Agatha opened her mouth, but after a moment of thought just nodded. Vanamonde nodded and went back to adding yellow crystals to his coffee with a tiny little spoon. Wooster, Krosp, and Tarvek leaned forward to not miss a shred of information.

“She is a mystery.” Tarvek snorted quietly, but nodded. “But her main backers appear to be a pair of gentlemen of fortune. Baron Oublenmach, a disreputable character who purchased his barony through a long career that has included everything from confidence work to light piracy. The other is His Grace Josef Strinbeck, a deposed Duke of Luthuania and an _idiot_.

“Their craft in a flash-class ship fresh out of Stockholm yards and paid for in cash by the way. Dutch gold, obviously laundered.

“It employs that new chameleon skin that wowed everyone at the St. Petersburg airshow last fall. They can make it any color they want. So—that ostentatious pink? That’s quite deliberate.

“They clearly have an agenda, but they’re rushed. Personally I believe they are part of some larger organization—and that they have set things in motion before everyone was ready.”

Tarvek snorted again. “ _That_ I can agree with, though I assure you they aren’t her _main_ backers.” He paused, but then continued, he didn’t exactly care for anyone in the Order, and considering Agatha already knew, it would be pointless to not offer what he could and gain points. “The Order is, or part of it anyway. The ones who think it’s a feasible plan. And it’s definitely rushed, I don’t know much, but I do know it was still years yet before they planned to attempt a takeover. Agatha here destroyed that.”

He glanced at Agatha. “And before you ask, yes this it that moronic fake Heterodyne plan I mentioned on the airship. I don’t know who their Heterodyne is, they always kept that hush-hush, and I’ve done everything I can to keep away from it because I know that it’s doomed for failure. Though even if I hadn’t I wouldn’t have known much more. They prefer me as a figure head not a player. My guess, thankfully, is that I was not even in the running for being the Storm Prince who comes to save the day. I imagine that is most likely my cousin Twe—er Martellus…” he paused, and then pouted. “Who likely is currently trying to take over my lands and declare me dead at this very moment,” he grumbled.

Vanamonde frowned, and glanced at Tarvek. “And you know this how—” Suddenly his eyes widened as for the first time he got a good look of Tarvek under his hood. “You are Prince Aaro—“

“I would _really_ prefer you didn’t shout that out for everyone to hear,” Tarvek said dryly, trying to ignore his instinctual wince as he glanced around the café. Most everyone had moved to give them some privacy, but Vanamonde had been very loud.

“Grandfather is this some kind of test?” Vanamonde asked glancing at Carson with his eyes a bit wide.

Carson looked at him dully. “If it was, you would have _failed_ boy, but unfortunately, no.” He sighed and leaned back in the booth. “He is here as an apparent ally of the Lady Agatha Heterodyne, daughter of Master William and Lady Lucrezia, who sits before you.”

Agatha looked a little embarrassed, she didn’t know Why everyone reacted to Tarvek like they did, she really needed to find out. “I need him to get my mother out of my head,” She admitted.

Vanamonde choked on the sip of the drink he had been taking to hide his embarrassment. He stared at Agatha, who was busy raising an eyebrow at Carson. He had not been so trusting of her identity just minutes before. Finally Van came to his senses as he realized he was dribbling coffee onto his lap. He slammed the cup down onto the saucer with a clunk and a splash that just added to his distress. “There are _two_ of them?” he blurted out.

The old man smiled with a toothy grin and handed him a napkin.

“No.” Agatha said calmly but firmly, allowing her hood to fall down. “There is _her_ , and there is _me_ , and _I_ am the real thing.”

Vanamonde continued to stare. “But…a girl…”

Agatha looked at him steady, but her eyes narrowed. “I promise not to get any cooties on you.”

Vanamonde sputtered, his face going red. “That’s not the point.” Carson looked as if he was enjoying this immensely. Agatha guessed that the only reason he had introduced her as he did was to see his grandson sputter. Tarvek snorted from the edge of the bench.

That got Vanamonde attention and his mind finally clicked on what else Agatha had said. “Get your mother… so the rumors are true?” He glanced at his Grandfather.

He nodded reassuringly, “I’ve already tested her, whoever she is she is not Lucrezia… at the moment.” He looked over to Agatha. “I was hoping to hear her story…” he prodded.

Agatha touched her locket, and then looked around the café, it was busy and people were constantly passing by the table. Surely already some had already heard that she had declared herself Heterodyne. Vanamonde noticed her glance and waved over a server. She approached pot in hand.

“Need anything, Van?” She asked.

He sighed. “Bring one—” He glanced back at Agatha and the others, “No… make it two pots of coffee and then get us a bit of privacy, please.”

The servers face went serious and she nodded. She backed off and soon returned with two more girls with two large pots of coffee and another tray of pastries. Afterwards they departed, quietly moving patrons who were seated nearby to other seats.  They did so without complaint, they were all Mechanicsburg residents, and they all knew who sat in that booth.

“Alright, we have privacy,” he told Agatha, and then leaned forward and entwined his fingertips.

Agatha touched her locket again, and then sighed. “Well to start, this can’t come off,” She said in a very low voice. She then continued, giving a very brief, very condensed version of her life, even morso than when she had been explaining everything to Mamma. Remembering the Jägers reaction to Barry’s brief trip to Mechanicsburg she skipped that entirely and jumped quickly to her time on Castle Wulfenbach.

While she was talking, Tarvek and Wooster, having already heard this story, were keeping a subtle look out, both on the other patrons and servers, as well as on the Von Mekkhan’s themselves as they listened to Agatha tale, in which she was now onto her time at the circus.

That was when Wooster noticed that every time he glanced at the table, a pastry was gone that didn’t seem to be being eaten by anyone. Frowning he glanced at the table out of the corner of his eye as he scanned the room, and just caught Zeetha hand flash out and grab a pastry, and then deposit it into her jacket pocket. He blinked and glanced up at Tarvek, who he guessed, from the resigned acceptance on his face, had noticed as well. Wooster couldn’t help but quirk a questioning eyebrow at him.

Tarvek sighed and leaned forward. “Habitual survival hording instinct she hasn’t quite managed to shake off—ouf.” He winced as Zeetha elbowed him sharply in the side. She was borderline mute for the moment perhaps, but she could still hear, thank you very much. A punishment she snatched his unused napkin and used it to begin filling her other pocket. Maybe she couldn’t eat them now, but as soon as she had time to put on some numbing cream they were doomed. They looked to delicious to pass up.

“— And that’s how we got here.” Agatha finished weakly. Carson and Vanamonde stared at her in silence, and then looked at each other. “Do you—believe me?” She finally asked as the silence stretched on.

“It’s some story,” Carson finally replied. “And to be honest you don’t act like the usual bogus Heterodyne heir. Not only were you originally to low key, that message of yours, about Lucrezia, the _Other_ in your head, there is no benefit for a false Heterodyne to spread such a lie.”

“So… you believe me?” Agatha asked again, getting a bit tired of asking.

“I’ll entertain the idea that you are who you say you are, but belief needs proof.” He sighed. “Though convincing a Jägergeneral is rather high in your favor. We have out differences but Mamma isn’t one to send me out on a wild goose chase, not on something as serious as this.”

“Then _how_ do I get proof,” Agatha asked, frustrated. “I’ve told you everything I’ve known, I could give you every little fact about Judy and Punch but I doubt that would do it, how?”

Carson peered at her. “You’ll need to get the Castle to approve of you, itself.”

“The castle … _itself_?” Agatha asked. For a moment Carson seemed confused by her confusion, before he caught himself, and shook his head.

“I’ll show you, come with me.” He urged everyone up out of their seats and through the café. Catching sight of his Grandson following, he quirked a sarcastic eyebrow. “Leaving your seat, grandson?”

“Believe it or not Grandfather I am not actually attached to it,” he huffed. “But considering, if she is a Heterodyne, she would be _my_ Heterodyne, I was under the impression I should probably come along.”

“Hmph. Come along, you should be _doing_ it,” Carson huffed, then sighed. “Unfortunately you do not have the dammed holes yet.” Vanamonde made a complicated face, one that was incredibly difficult to decipher, before it settled on concern. “Don’t look at me like that boy, it has never won yet, and I don’t plan on letting it.”

“ _What_ are we talking about?” Wooster interjected as they approached the front door. The Von Mekkhan’s glanced at each other.

“I’ll explain when we get there,” Carson finally responded. “It’s something that has to be seen to truly be understood.” He sighed again.

Zeetha watched the byplay with sharp eyes, and then glanced around the streets. It was getting crowded, and even though Carson and Vanamonde’s presence meant people moved out of their way, it was still slowing them down. The sun was high in the sky, it soon would be midday, and it was uncharacteristically hot for spring. Hot enough that she really wished she could put her hood down. The people around her seemed to feel the same way. Men were taking off jackets, some of the lower class was even talking off their shirts, and even the large Jäger, down a side street, was hovering in the shade—

Wait. Jägers weren’t allowed in Mechanicsburg. Zeetha glanced his way again. He stood tall, with blue skin and eyes like coal, not whites of any kind. He was also wearing an Empire uniform. He seemed to be staring right at Agatha—who, Zeetha just realized, had forgotten to put her hood back up after taking it down in the cafe—which just _figured._

Zeetha pulled on Agatha sleeve to get her attention, and once she had it, pointed out the quickly approaching Jäger. She could tell Agatha was surprised by his appearance as well.

“I thought the Baron didn’t allow Jäger into Mechanicsburg,” She stated, noting his pristine Empire uniform. Carson and Vanamonde paused from the front, and looked back in confusion, only for Carson to start in surprise.

He dashed back to her in a surprising speed for his age and grabbed her arm. “He doesn’t, he’s not a Jäger—not anymore.”

Vanamonde, who had followed his grandfather, eyes widened. “You mean he’s—”

“He’s who?” Agatha asked.

“Vole.” Carson attempted to pull her away but it was too late, the Jäger had caught up, sniffed the air, and then grinned. A large gun was in his one hand.

“Hy know hyu are here, Heterodyne!” He roared. Random people on the streets turned to look towards him. Whispers broke out. Zeetha blinked in realization that he hadn’t actually recognized Agatha, which was good at least. “Ve haff been ordered to keep an eye out for hyu.” He grinned wildly, his fingers tapping against his gun, as he gazed at the crowd they were bunched up in. Zeetha fell back into a ready stance; she could just feel the panic coming off the Von Mekkhan’s. She hadn’t yet had the chance to hook her sheath to her belt so she had to drop them as she drew her new swords, though she was careful to keep them hidden under her cloak.

A couple people at the edge of the crowd attempted to slide away, but Vole was quicker. A shot shattered the slate just next to the people’s feet. “Nobody moves.” He declared. Everyone went silent. After a moment of nothing, his grin fell. He took one more sniff and then snarled. “Hy know hyu are here, step forvard or—” He grabbed a young girl from the crowd; she couldn’t be more than fourteen. Her arms shook as she held her shopping basket tightly to herself, miscellaneous food items falling out. He quite cheerfully held the gun to her temple. “Or Hy vill shoot. First her den everyvone else.”

Agatha ripped her arm from Carson’s monster hold and yelled “No!” loud enough that even Vole seemed surprised. “I am the Heterodyne! And you will! Put! Her! Down!”

Vole paused. “Are hyu really?” He asked slowly, scanning her. Agatha hesitated, remembering back to how the boyz or even Mamma had reacted to her. This was the first time she had truly had to face the Jägersmonsters cruel nature and disregard for life but… perhaps he just needed some hope.

Her hand to her chest she confirmed softly, but firmly. “Yes. I am.”

Carson let out a low hiss. Vanamonde looked like he desperately wanted to hide. Krosp had disappeared entirely.

Vole blinked. Then he grinned. “Goot!” His gun swung from the girl, who dived away from him, and straight at Agatha. “Stay still—ah!” He flailed and kicked his leg, and Krosp went flying. His shot went wide, flying up into the air right into one of the gargoyle like light posts. A shower of sparks fell onto the crowd below, and several people had to jump out of the way as the gargoyle topper tetterd and fell.

Vole was pissed. “Now hyu have done it!” He yelled only to have to cut his rant short as he attempted to dive from Zeetha’s swords. It only half worked, and he gained a nasty cut along his right bicep, which, unfortunately, to a Jäger was little more than a paper cut. He roared and swung his gun up to Zeetha, only to realize belatedly that it wasn’t there. He looked at his hand in confusion, and then behind him, where Tarvek was looking severely unimpressed.

Zeetha took his distraction to hit him hard with both hilts of her new swords. He staggered forward, right into Wooster’s shock gun, which was just enough to take him down. He hit the street hard, several of the slates cracking. Zeetha gazed at him for a moment to make sure he was staying down, and then glanced at her new swords, inspecting them for damage, that Jäger had a very hard head. Pleased they were undamaged; she collected her sheaths and walked over to Agatha, to make sure _she_ wasn’t damaged, Leaving Wooster and Tarvek to keep an eye on the oaf.

She found Agatha kneeling on the ground next to the girl Vole had been using as incentive. Agatha looked stricken as she checked to make sure she was okay. The girl herself seemed to be in shock. As Zeetha approached she looked away from her basket to the food she had dropped, most in which had been trampled by the crowd.

“My parents are going to kill me.” She said to no one, her eyes just a little too wide. Zeetha grimaced. Yeah. She was in shock.

“It’s going to be alright,” Agatha tried to sooth, pulling out her much lighter coin purse and passing several gold coins to the girl, who looked at them as if she couldn’t understand what they were. “I am so, so sorry this happened.”

Agatha looked up at the stunned Von Mekkhan’s. “Herr Von Mekkhan.” She glanced around at the crowd that was slowly growing around her. Uncertain whispers, and accessing stares met her gaze as much as fear and relief did. “I’m putting these people in danger by just being here, you need to get me into the castle, and fast.”

Carson stared down at the former Jäger and nodded. “It looks like I better.”

Vanamonde glanced around with a grimace. “And I probably should stay here and deal with this,” he said with a sigh. Already some of the people he was sure had been in the crowd had disappeared, off to spread the news of another Heterodyne claim. No chance in keeping it quiet anymore. Carson looked back at his grandson and nodded in approval.

Vanamonde approached Agatha and the girl. He crouched down and looked the stunned girl in the eye before nodding. Standing back up he brushed off his coat and called for one of his server girls who had crowded the doorway of the café to see what was going on.

“Yes, Van,” she asked stepping forward.

“See that you get her home, and that her parents know Why the shopping wasn’t done.” He instructed. The woman nodded and carefully helped the teenager to her feet, and then slowly lead her away.

Vanamonde offered a hand to Agatha. “Don’t worry about her, she a Mechanicsburger, she’ll be fine. Until next time…” he fare welled before turning to the crowd and the fallen Jäger still being watched by Tarvek and Wooster. “Somebody get some chain and tie up that oaf,” he ordered loudly, snapping the crowd to attention.

A man in a thick brown apron wacked a younger man’s head. “Go get four of Number nine chain, and be quick about it,” He ordered. The lad ran off, and Tarvek and Wooster returned to Agatha’s side.

Agatha watched him go, and then Carson took ahold of her arm and led her off, Krosp and Tarvek at her heels. Before letting her get to far, Zeetha reached up and  grabbed her hood to pull it up and back over Agatha’s head roughly, before pulling back to bring up the rear with Wooster, scanning the area for trouble. Agatha blushed heavily just noticing the hood had been down.

What they saw wasn’t trouble, but evidence that trouble was on the way. While in the distance people could still be seen, whispering and dashing this way and that, likely spreading news. Around them, spreading out from the now closed café behind them; stores were closing up their shops. Wares were being pulled in from their spots on the street. Merchants were pulling down their shutters and locking their doors, and what was worse, the growing concentration of tourists and other outsiders were taking the residents place.

Seeing a growing crowd ahead, one that even from a distance they could see held soldiers responding to the gun shots, Carson steered them up a narrow flight of steps and they found themselves striding upon an ancient wall. It was obviously an old fortification wall from before Mechanicsburg had grown, and it had long since been incorporated into the inner structure of the town. There were fewer people up here and Carson sighed deeply.

“Normally I would just take you straight to the front gate,” he said thoughtfully.

Agatha glanced over the wall, just in time to see a troop of Wulfenbach soldiers jogging down the street. “But that’s not a good idea now.”

Carson nodded. “And it’s not just the Empire you have to worry about, the false Heterodyne, her people will be looking for you to.”

Tarvek glanced out over the city, and then turned back to Carson. “Surly as seneschal you would know most of the ways to get into the castle, even the secret ones.”

“Bah, I know all the way to get into the Castle, but it won’t do to be underestimating these people, I wouldn’t put it past them to have people watching all the doors.”

Wooster frowned. “They don’t sound very secret.”

Carson looked slightly embarrassed. “There are tourist maps that you can buy that have most of them.” Noticing Agatha’s, and Tarvek’s, incredulous looks, he shrugged. “Sane people don’t want to go into the Castle.”

Zeetha snorted, remembering Tarvek’s tourist map of his palace. He really wasn’t one to talk.

They turned a corner, stepping off the wall onto yet another layer of Mechanicsburg’s streets. In front of them loomed a giant tower. It stood almost ten stories tall, a squat, circular structure built off native rock, encrusted occasionally with decorative panels, rusty spikes, and of course, trilobites. After the castle it was easily the tallest structure in Mechanicsburg.

Atop this was a vivid red, pagoda-like structure from which hung a huge immense bell of bronze, easily six meters tall. The surface of the bell, along with the massive chain that held it aloft, was covered in a thick green patina of age, except for a large bas-relief skull, which sported a large gilded trilobite set into its forehead.

“The Doom Bell,” Carson declared proudly. “Only to be rung when a new Heterodyne is born, and old Heterodyne dies, or a Heterodyne returns from abroad.”

“So I guess you’ll have to ring it for Agatha when you’re convinced she’s the real deal,” Krosp remarked offhandedly.

Carson looked startled and then a growing expression of worry crossed his face. “We… we might…” He conceded. “Oh dear.”

Zeetha gave him a strange look, but Agatha changed the subject. “So what do we do now?”

Carson snapped out of his musings. “What we do is send you through the front door.”

“What? But you said—”

The old man waved a hand dismissively. “The trick is to make it seem like you don’t want to go in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Otherwise titled In Which Zeetha is tortured by the mere presences of food.


	6. In Which Agatha has a chat

Carson swung the ancient iron gate closed behind them and went about locking the many locks. As he did so, Agatha, Zeetha, and the others peered around into the gloom. The enclosure was evidently used to store road maintenance equipment, but none of them were fooled. Humming to himself Carson selected a particular brick, gave it a twist, and a hidden door slid open with a deep groan. Carson frowned. “That needs oiling,” He muttered to himself. He stepped through and indicated that the others should do as well. The door closed behind them and they were left in total darkness. But before anyone could do anything Carson threw an ancient key switch and slowly, one by one, dim green lights flickered on.

 They stood atop a wide stone staircase that showed severe signs of disuse: dust floated in the air, and cobwebs hung from the ceiling. It winded downwards sharply and quickly fell out of sight.

“This isn’t another sewer is it?” Krosp asked with distaste. Carson simply shook his head and led them down. They came to the bottom of the steps and looked up at an elaborate series of groined vaults whose tops were lost in the darkness.

When Carson spoke, it was quietly and with reverence. “This is the true family crypt of the Heterodynes.” As their eyes adjusted to the gloom they could see bizarre and complicated tombs and coffins made from marble and granite and decorated with tarnished metal and dusty gems. Unearthly statues peered down at them as they started forward, and carved wall skeletons were everywhere, all grinning a ghastly grin. It seemed even in death the Heterodynes were quite pleased to know that people were happy to see them go.

As they moved down the central corridor names came and went. Zeetha payed them no mind, in the gloom, and the fancy script they were carved in it would be impossible for her to really read them anyway. Instead she kept an eye on the statues. In Skifander nearly every statue was equipped, that when awakened, to defend Skifander. And from what she had heard of the Heterodynes it wouldn’t be hard for them to have something similar.

Wooster fished a watch from his pocket, gave the back a twist, and looked at the newly revealed compass, Tarvek glancing at it over his shoulder. “I seem to have gotten a bit turned around in all those tunnels.” He admitted. “We started near the cathedral, but now were closer to the castle, yes?”

Carson nodded in approval. “Very good Mr. Wooster.”

Carson pulled an ivory pipe from his jacket. “Every Heterodyne, back to Old Ht’rok-din himself are buried here, though granted many of the older ones were moved here after the attempted burning of the bodies in 1302.” Taking some crumbly black moss for a coffin he tamped it into his pipe. “And granted some are only represented by a little ash, or a few chunks or armor, but other than Master William and Master Barry, all Heterodynes have come home in the end.” With a silver lighter he lit his pipe and took a deep puff to then release a savory cloud of faintly glowing green smoke.

He pointed at a wall nearby; it was strangely lacking any of the normal decorations of morbid cheer. The floor in front of it was empty as well. The wall was decorated by only two plaques: _William Saturnus Heterodyne 1837_ —

The other: _Bartimus Victor Heterodyne 1839_ —

“They have a place reserved here, for when they return.”

Agatha studied the wall, and then turned back at Carson to study the man. “You’re convinced they will return?” She declared.

Carson hunched his shoulder and gave a faint smile. “In one form or another.” His teeth gleamed in the shadows.

Agatha stood tall. “And yet you say it’s impossible that _I_ could be a Heterodyne. Even though… every… everything tells me that I am.”

The old man nodded amiably. “Oh yes, I can see Why. Punch and Judy. Mamma being convinced. Your stunt in Stumhulten, Vole’s reaction…” He took another puff. “The problem is you’re _not_ the heir who everybody expects.” He pointed with the stem of his pipe to the floor at Agatha’s feet. “He is.”

Agatha jumped to the side and looked down. A tiny marble slab was set into the stone. Its description was brief:

_Klaus Barry Heterodyne_

_Beloved son of Lucrezia and William_

_With us but 407 days—_

_Forever in our hearts_

Agatha had to move her feet to see the dates and was sadden to see she was right. This was the grave of the brother she had never had, the brother that had died the day the castle was attacked.

“But Why…?” She finally asked. “If Lucrezia was the Other, Why would she kill her own son…” She trailed off not really wanting to know the answer.

Tarvek stepped forward. “She may not have— Agatha how old are you?”

Agatha blinked. “Uh… 18 last winter but Why—?”

“That would put you about two years younger than him—just enough for Lucrezia to have been in the early months of pregnancy with you during the attack.”

Agatha took that in, and so did Carson.

“A possibility, I admit, I never really thought on,” Carson admitted, almost looking sheepish.

“Granted there is always the possibility that as soon as she knew she was pregnant with you she started some kind of plan,” he thought out loud. “Considering she planned to use you as a host…” he frowned.

“But what?” Carson pushed, his old eyes watching him carefully, willing to take in any knowledge he could to try and explain that awful night.

Tarvek looked to him, and then back to Agatha. “I was very young back then so I don’t know much about the original plans, but what I do know, the whole dropping wasps and boulders from the sky, they weren’t part of it.” He paused. “And, again I don’t know for sure, but from what I do know, no Order member had any communication from Lucrezia from the day she disappeared during the attack, until the day the Geisterdamen came to my father for help with her machine. That’s a gap of over five years.”

He looked down at the grave, “The ‘using the Storm King legend’ plan isn’t new—” He made a face of severe distaste. “Lucrezia was planning on using that from the start, likely with you, or well, her in you, and either—me or… one of my cousins.” He admitted with an awkward blush, refusing to look Agatha in the eye. “But that was all destroyed that night, and no matter how I go through it, your brother—he would have been too useful of a tool for you mother…” he trailed off and looked back to Carson. “How did he die, exactly?”

Carson stared at Tarvek and then glanced at Agatha. Seeing interest on her face as well he sighed, took a long drag on his pipe and settled down on a coffin. “You brother, he died…” he closed his eyes and had to catch his breath as old pain washed through him. “My son, the seneschal, of only three days—he had been carrying him, attempting to escape whatever happened I imagine, when… a large chunk of ceiling fell… their heads—well… they were both declared unable to be brought back…” He trailed off.

Zeetha stared down at the grave below her and then looked up at Agatha just in time to see a glimmer of tears on her face as Carson took another puff on his pipe. Unsure what to do, she bumped Agatha’s shoulder with her own, and when Agatha looked at her, gave her a worried, questioning look.

Agatha blinked, realized she was crying, and wiped away her tears. With a nod of acknowledgment she waved Zeetha away.

Tarvek was quiet when he spoke again. “A death… that is not easily engineered.”

Carson snarled in grief, “So my son’s and the young master death had no meaning!” He howled causing the others to jump. “No purpose! Great! What is you point, boy! Why do you feel the need to bring this up!”

Tarvek backed away a step, but steady himself, and his face went serious and stern. “Because, if the Other— Lucrezia didn’t cause the attack, then we have to wonder—and keep in mind, _What did?”_

The crypt went eerily quiet.

“That… I think is a question for another day,” Agatha finally said breaking the drowning silence. “What we need to do is get me into the castle,” She turned to Carson, her face sad. “And while I appreciate you bringing me here—how does this help me get in?” She looked around. “Is there a path from here to the castle?”

“No, no,” Carson shook his head as he stood up. “I said you will go through the front door, and I meant it, granted you will be going in with chains on like everybody else.” Tarvek gasped in understand and Carson looked over to him with an approving nod. Noting Agatha’s expression he explained. “Klaus uses convicts to work in the Castle. The troublesome Sparks, and monsters that the Empire wants gone for one reason or another. It’s a death sentence for most of them, but considering who gets sent in there, I don’t think anybody loses sleep at night.”

He led them over to a heavily decorated, but devoid of any graves, wall and activated another hidden door. Grabbing a lantern that hung just inside, Carson lit it using the coal of his pipe. The dim, and faintly green, light peered down through the darkness of another ancient stone staircase. As they walked Carson continued explaining the prisoner system Klaus had set up, and Why it would help them today.

Zeetha listened, but as they went deeper and deeper began to get a bit on edge. They were already far deeper than Mamma’s, and back home, in Skifander, this deep meant trouble, and a lot of it. So she shoved her swords and their sheaves into Tarvek’s distracted hands. He nearly tripped as he missed a step and gave Zeetha a dark glare through the gloom.

She ignored him and began pulling off her belt, being careful not to lose the little pouch with all her things, as well as Dimo’s knife in the process. She dumped these into Tarvek’s hands as well.  Tarvek just sighed, not wanting to say anything and interrupt Carson in front. Once she had her belt mostly off she began winding it back on with the items, making sure the swords hung properly at her hips, but that the pouch and knife were still in easy reach. It was not exactly easily done considering she was walking down an uneven and slightly damp stone staircase and her only light was dim and a decent amount ahead, but she managed without slipping and breaking her neck.

“Are you quite done,” Tarvek murmured into her ear so not to disrupt Carson. Zeetha gave him a brilliant and toothy grin. He gazed back unimpressed. “I’m glad my abilities as a pack mule were of help to you,” he muttered back dully. Zeetha snorted silently, and then grimaced harshly. Swallowing, which didn’t help, at _all_ , she glanced at Tarvek out of the corner of her eye. Even in the dim light she could see he had gone pale, and from the way he was walking, his injuries were acting up as well.

“—But they still have to eat, so supplies are sent in twice a week. And whereas the supply crew is thoroughly scrutinized when they leave, nobody really expects anyone to try and get in, or particularly care if they do.” Carson finished.

Agatha frowned. “Then Why are we down here? Surly the supply run doesn’t start in the crypts?”

The old man’s snort of amusement wafted back. “No, we’re here because you need to be told what to do once you’re in the Castle, and believe me, I wouldn’t do this for just anybody.”

It was silent for a long while. Tarvek looked as if he was desperately trying to come up with a name, or face, or at least vague mention from one of his old books about who they could be seeking out. Krosp took the simpler route and broke the silence. “And the person who does know, lives down _here_? That’s kind of creepy.”

Carson reached the bottom of the stairwell and turned to face them. “Not a person.” He said heavily. “Not alive.”

Krosp raised a paw. “Creepy?”

“Hell, yes.” The man grasped an iron escutcheon and gave it a twist. With a groan, a section of brickwork slid back and reveled yet another set of stairs, lined with upended crypts adorned with grinning skulls that, to no one’s real surprise, turned to watch them as they passed by. Carson waved a hand. “Don’t pay them any mind, you’re with me.” He paused. “I wouldn’t dawdle, though.” Everyone bunched up, Zeetha moving protectively to Agatha’s heel. Her hand gripped one of her hilts, but she didn’t draw it, unsure of what reaction that might cause.

Wooster cleared him throat nervously. “Um… We’re not going to meet some ancient undead Heterodyne Vampyre or… or something. Are we?”

Carson spat. “Oh, and wouldn’t that be the perfect capper to my day.”

Wooster licked his lips. “That… actually wasn’t a ‘ho ho, don’t be silly, old chap, there’s no such thing as Vampyres down here.’”

“I ain’t being paid to lie to you, Brit.”

“You mean…”

“But that’s not who were looking for today.”

The spy hunched down on himself a bit. “You mean there are days when you do go looking for…them?”

“Didn’t say they were _good_ days.”

“Oh.”

Carson sighed. “Better than this though.”

Wooster glared at the old man.” I am _done_ talking with you.”

“I appreciate the effort, young fellow, but the day’s already been loss.”

Zeetha lips twitched, and she gave some sarcastic claps, before signing something over her shoulder to Tarvek, who snorted, and then one more clap that obviously meant ‘Look at them, wow’. Agatha beside her snorted as well, even though she didn’t recognize most of her signs, and looked a little embarrassed that she had.

Tarvek cleared his throat. “You _do_ remember that these are the Heterodynes?” he smirked. “Suggesting any kind of common monster in jest is likely to lead to failure.” Wooster gave a half-hearted glare backwards.

Carson snorted himself. “You better listen to the Andy’s boy back there.” Tarvek’s grin fell, Zeetha smirked. “May do you some good.”

“What are we looking for then?” Krosp demanded, glancing at everyone as if they needed to get serious.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and Carson paused only for a second before spinning a wheel, which brought the lights up. “This. The throne of Faustus Heterodyne.”

And indeed, what at first looked to just be a nest of dials and gears, was, if you looked at it correctly, a seat at the center of a tangle of cables and pipes that spread out every which way before burrowing into the walls, floors, and ceiling.

Zeetha had to stop her hand from twitching/ It was… very familiar looking and it wasn’t a happy kind of familiar. She shared a concerned glance with Tarvek.

Wooster let out a gust of breath. “There’s no one in it?”

The old man slowly removed his waistcoat. “Not yet,” he confirmed in a hollow wince. “That’s my job.”

Zeetha probably should have felt bad for the old man, as horribly pale he looked, but she couldn’t help but be relived Agatha wasn’t supposed to sit in on it. That would have been… to close. To close to allow.

“I see I’m never going to learn.”

Carson grinned and clapped him on the back. “Then you have learned something already.” He turned to Agatha, who had ventured over to a large control panel of switches and nobs, with Zeetha at her heel. His grin fell. “Your pardon, my lady, but…” he looked incredibly embarrassed. “If you could assist me in the warm-up sequence? I’m supposed to do it myself, but…”

Zeetha glanced at the old man, who was quite obviously feeling the effects of his advancing years, as well as the long and tiring trip they had taken to get here. She glanced at Agatha, who also seemed to also be feeling the four or so set of stairs they had ventured in the last hour. She frowned; she had a long way to go to get Agatha ready, and seemingly no time to do it.

“You sit down. I’ll take care of this.” She told him. When he began to protest she raised her voice. “SIT!” Involuntarily, the old man sat. Tarvek and Zeetha eyes both dashed to him, and then to each other. That was… also uncomfortably familiar. “Now you _rest_ , and tell _me_ what to do.”

Tarvek was made to turn around and stare at the wall glumly by Carson’s demands, but soon Agatha had the rest of their little group running ragged wiping and tightening connections while she ran through an impressive diagnostic sequence. Zeetha kept an eye on her, as every once in a while she seemed to drift towards a Spark fugue, but Carson always distracted her just in time, so she left it up to him.

Krosp noticed as well, and Carson caught his look after the third time it happened. He shrugged. “It’s a knack, you pick it up if you live long enough.”

A very short time later Agatha tightened a final screw and threw a big red lever. Gears all around them slowly groaned to life, and lights flickered on throughout the chamber. Zeetha’s nose puckered as she caught a faint wisp of ozone, and she crossed her arms, glancing at the ground.

“I think that’s everything. Did I do it correctly?”

The old man took one last pull of his pipe, knocked it against a grinder, and climbed to his feet slowly. “I certainly hope so. I haven’t done this in a long time.”

“Why not?”

“Because it _hurts_ ,” The old man snapped. “A _lot_.”

Agatha’s face fell. Seeing that Carson softened slightly. “But mostly because, up until now, I hadn’t thought that any of the claimants that had wandered into Mechanicsburg had a chance at being the real thing.”

Agatha absorbed this. “So what is it that we are doing down here?”

“I’m going to let you talk to the Castle.”

“And that hurts you?”

“From down here? Yes. But no one else can do it.”

“Why couldn’t…say… Wooster do it?”

The British agent jerked in surprise. “Hold on—”

Agatha waved a hand. “Just as an example.”

“No. Hold on—Why me? Why not Prince Sturmvoraus?” He pointed over to where Tarvek leaned against the wall. Tarvek raised an eyebrow at him. His face was incredibly pale, and Zeetha gave him a look of concern before glancing back to Agatha.

“He’s hurt and I’m curious,” Agatha brushed off.

The old man nodded and removed his cap, revealing a perfect square set of fearsome scars on his bald head. His voice rang with pride. “Because I’m the Seneschal of Castle Heterodyne. Because I’m the one with the special holes drilled into my skull and the sockets embedded there.” He rolled his eyes. “Vanamonde should have got them done years ago, but… well the Heterodynes were gone, and… it is a delicate procedure that can only be done once,” He admitted.

“Plus I imagine you would need a pretty high level Spark, and notes on how it was done, and the problems of bringing more Sparks than absolutely necessary down here would bring, plus secrecy…” Tarvek’s pained voice trailed off. Zeetha gave him an unimpressed glance while Agatha just looked worried.

Carson grunted in grudging agreement before lowering himself down onto the cracked and mildew spotted seat of the throne. Gingerly he drew a complicated machine towards his head, a helmet of some sort, with four spring loaded clamps positioned right above his scars. Then his fingers flew over the control panel, and with one last, courage building breath, he switched one last switch.

Instantly the four clamps flexed, driving four metal rods deep into Carson’s head with a sickening sound and he screamed. The Helmet crackled with electricity and the tubes began to glow.

Zeetha blinked and realized that somehow she was in the back of the chamber, next to the Iron gate and Tarvek, who was looking at her with concern. She swallowed heavily and avoided his gaze; she _really_ needed to stop doing that, and then returned slowly to Agatha’s heel.

Carson sat stock-still, the only movement a faint trail of blood that slid out from under his helmet and slowly dripped down his face. Agatha watched it in horror and reached out for him, only to stop dead as he spoke.

His voice was old, dry and slow, as if it had bounced back and forth across great distances before finding its way through the old man’s lips.

“It’s been four hundred and thirty-seven million, two hundred and fifteen thousand, three hundred and fifty-three seconds since the systems was last activated,” the old man whispered. Suddenly his head jerked to the side and everyone stared in horror as a terrifying grin slid into place. “Why it’s still old Carson! And here he swore he would never be back!” His head swiveled around and examined the group staring back at him. “He must be very sure indeed.”

One of his hands jerked upwards, and without bothering to move his fingers, pointed directly as Ardsley Wooster. “So you think you a Heterodyne, boy?”

Wooster stumbled back a pace, “What? No! Not at all!”

The old man frowned and re-examined the group. Spotting Tarvek in the back, his frown grew heavier. “Certainty you don’t,” He declared, his voice taking on an unneeded volume upgrade. “Euphrosynia never bore children,” He explained, his voice coming out as if he found that fact quite a shame.

“Believe me I’m aware,” Tarvek assured as he examined the machine heavily. His eyes darting from gear, to wire, to cog, trying to figure it out what he was seeing.

The old man frowned. “Then who—” He paused, cocking his head to one side, as if listening to an unseen voice. “A what?” he snapped.

Agatha stepped forward, Zeetha shifting as she entered hand reach of the possessed man, her hand, under her cloak, falling back on her hilt. “I am Agatha Heterodyne. I am the daughter of Bill and Lucrezia Heterodyne.”

Carson’s body rocked back in his seat. Across his helmet lights flickered between red and green “A girl?” His head snapped back to Wooster. “This is a trick.”

Wooster shook his head. “No.”

“Really. _You’re_ the Heterodyne.”

“No!”

“You’re acting like a miserable, cringing lackey.”

Zeetha took her eyes off Agatha for just one second to see that Wooster was in fact cringing by a pillar and shying away from the malevolence radiating from the old man, before her gaze returned to Agatha, and the man in front of her.

Wooster’s voice was slightly steadier when he replied, “No.”

The body’s attention snapped back to Agatha and it examined her minutely. Zeetha could see the frustration coming off her in waves from the Castle’s disbelief. Finally Carson snapped his fingers. “You’re really a man who likes to dress in woman’s clothing!” It said with happy acceptance.

“Enough!” Agatha snapped her voice sparling into the harmonics of madness. Carson’s body leaned back in surprise. “I am the Heterodyne! Now stop wasting time with this idiocy and tell me what I need to know!”

“The voice,” The entity in Carson whispered with a shudder, Lenses on his helmet spun as he leaned in and again the lights danced. “I believe you are Lady Lucrezia’s child. Heh, heh—”A nasty grin stretched over his face. “But are you the Master’s? We shall see…” His voice slowly trailed off as if he had been interrupted. His head cocked again as he listened and Agatha’s angry resort died in her throat. It was eerily quiet for several moments, the lights of his helmet blinking slowly in and out.

“Hmm,” He finally said, leaning back into his seat, his fingers steepled together, and he re-examined Agatha before him.

Agatha took a calming breath and stood tall. “I’m guessing he told you about my… mother problem.”

“Yes!” The voice deadpanned, everyone winced at the seriousness of his tone. “He also told me he believes that she is currently not in control.” His eyes glanced down to Agatha’s neck, to her locket. He then sighed. “For now I will have to trust his judgment, her return was so very unlikely, later…” He grumbled, trailing off as he eyed her again. “The Heterodyne blood so rarely produces girls—the last one was—”

“Me!” Agatha said defiantly.

The old man’s mouth twitched. “Perhaps, there are ways of testing it once you are inside, though I must warn you if you are not—”

“Yes!” Agatha interrupted. “If I’m a fake I will die, I’ve been told.”

The entity sat back. “Well,” he said slowly, “maybe not. Or at least…”

Agatha blinked. “What?”

“You are a Spark, are you not?”

Agatha nodded slowly. “I am.”

The entity sighed. “Then girl or not, false or no, I am prepared to make a bargain with you.”

Agatha stepped back, “A bargain? With you?” She glanced at the ground and considered this.

Wooster cleared his throat, “It’s not unprecedented, it made a bargain with the Baron.”

The entity nodded. “See. And I didn’t even try to kill him!”

Wooster gave him a look. “Did he even try to enter?”

Carson’s body scowled. “I grow tired of foolish questions,” he snapped. “There is an enemy inside the castle. A false Heterodyne. She intends to destroy me. The very idea is preposterous, and yet—I fear she may have actually found a way to do it.”

“Wait—” Krosp frowned. “If she wants to prove to everyone that she is Heterodyne, then shouldn’t she be trying to _control_ you? I thought that was the test.”

“Indeed it is. But… heh… she has realized that that is not possible.”

“Because… she isn’t a Heterodyne,” Agatha asked after a moment of silence. The entity turned to her and paused. Zeetha eyed the thing. It had more understanding of, as well as genuine, body language than Anevka had, but it still was very alien. And yet she got the feeling that there was a lot being hidden here.

Finally Carson’s body shrugged. “In part,” It admitted. “But mostly because I am severely damaged. Wulfenbach’s people have been trying to repair me for years. Overall they have failed, but still they have been useful. I have directed them where I could, and thus I am more coherent than I once was.

“My central brain—the part of me that you are now speaking to—is isolated. My control circuits were severed in the explosion. The power lines though seemed to have remained undamaged, and because of that my subsystems are running automatically—” He took a heavy, weary sigh. “And they are _stupid._ Running at cross-purposes. _Fragmented._ You must get in and repair the break in the central control conduct.”

Agatha thought on this. She was tempted again to ask if there was a secret way into the central keep, but that seemed unlikely. Instead she asked, “How do I evade these rogue defenses? I assume that there’s a key or code of some kind that will let me progress safely.”

The entity frowned. “Dear me, no. Foolishness like that is the sort of thing enemies exploit. I was constructed better than that.”

Zeetha turned away as the two continued to barter and argue as light footsteps could be heard in the distance. Seeing that Agatha didn’t seem to be in too much danger from the Castle, it wanted to use her after all, she returned to the gate. Glancing up she could see the dim light of a lantern bobbing its way down. Sharing a glance with Tarvek, Zeetha drew one of her swords and waited.

After a moment she could tell that there were two people approaching, one much lighter, and another heavier, and slower. A moment after that she could hear an old, gruff voice, complaining about the amount of stairs he was walking—and, after a second, she could hear the exact moment he realized where he was going.

“Wait—this stairwell goes to—sniveling sand-dragons! Is Carson actually hooked up to that brain-sucker abomination—”The man choked as he turned from the stairs into the chamber only to be met by a sword pointed to his throat. He was dressed in a rich outfit topped with a rather gaudy hat of office. A woman paused beside him and gave Zeetha a slightly disproving look. After a second Zeetha recognized her as one of the woman in the café, the one Vanamonde had been talking with when they first approached. She still clutched the clipboard in her arms.

The entity behind them caught the interaction and let out a loud, creepy laugh.

Zeetha glanced at the woman, and then sheathed her swords and stepped aside to let them through. It was too late though, as the man had obviously come to his own conclusions. “Who are you! What have you done to Carson!” The woman beside him sighed.

The entity grinned. “Carson came to me freely. Herr Diamant. He truly believes this girl is the new Heterodyne,” he chuckled. “Though he refuses to admit it.”

Herr Diamant gazed across the group scattered around the chamber, and then back to the throne. He scoffed. “That old fool. The Heterodynes are dead!”

It went quiet. The grin dropped from the entity’s face, and then suddenly Herr Diamant gave a shriek as he was hoisted into the air by an assortment of clamp like mechanical hands. Zeetha dove out of the way as another set of mechanical arms came rushing in, equipped with rusty, but quite sharp knives. She backed away from the shrieking man towards Agatha, Tarvek having joined her.

“You disloyal dog,” The entity hissed.

Diamant shuddered and stared at the claws in terror. “No! I—”

“Obviously it has been far too long since you last felt the Masters’ displeasure!”

“Carson!” The man moaned. “Call it off!”

The entity paused, and then grinned. “I think you have annoyed him as well.” A blade lazily began to spin as it edged closer to the trapped man.

“STOP!” Agatha screamed pushing through the wall of Zeetha and Tarvek with surprising strength. Everyone jerked in surprise. The Castle pulled the blade back as if it had been caught doing something against the rules. Agatha turned on her heels and strode forward to face the entity face-to-face. “I am here now, and I’m telling—no _ordering_ you to let him go!”               

The entity snarled. “You are not the Heterodyne yet!” The blades hummed as they began to spin again and The Castle aimed it straight for Herr Diamant’s eyes.

Agatha slapped Carson clear across the face. “I say enough! I am the Heterodyne! You’ll do what I say now—because if you ignore me and hurt him—then I will walk away and find another way to stop these people!” She leaned in. “But that will take time. Time you don’t have. They’ll shut you down and you’ll be dead, having utterly failed the Heterodyne family. Is that what you want?”

Her last words had a devastating effect upon the entity. It gasped as if punched and flinched.

“No,” It whispered.

“Then release him,” Agatha demanded.

It hesitated. “Can’t I just… wound him? Just a little?”

“No!”

The entity’s slammed its fist down in frustration. “Why not! He needs to be reminded who is his Master!”

Agatha snarled back. “The only disloyal thing I see here is you! _Release him at once!_ ”

It huffed. “Fine have it your way.” With a snap the manipulators opened and Herr Diamant fell to the floor. “Maybe I just won’t kill anyone at all! How will you like _that!_ ”

Zeetha was severally tempted to clap again, though this time non-sarcastically, but that seemed inappropriate, so she refrained. Agatha ignored the Castle, but Zeetha could tell it wasn’t ignoring her. It watched with interest as Agatha checked on Herr Diamant health, and got his undying loyalty. It seemed intrigued, as if it couldn’t quite understand how that had worked.

“Maybe you are a Heterodyne,” It said slowly. “And you are certainly not the Lady Lucrezia,” It added glancing at the kneeling man at her feet. Agatha glanced at it, and then back down at the man kneeling before her. Grasping his hand she pulled him to his feet.

“So Herr Diamant, Why are you here?” She finally asked, glancing from him to the woman who had guided him down and was continuing to hover by the door. She approached her, and gestured to the man.

“Lady Heterodyne, this is Herr Wilhelm Diamant. He’s responsible for the transport and care of the prisoners in Castle Heterodyne.”

“Oh, so you can get me into the Castle without attracting attention?”

He nodded. “Yes my lady. Give me your measurements, and I’ll have a suitable set of clothes prepared for you. My cart is outside.” He glanced at the others that had drifted until they stood around Agatha. “I shall see it that your companions are safety settled until—”

Zeetha jumped forwards, placing one hand on Agatha’s shoulder and using her other to point to herself. Herr Diamant looked at her like all people tended to when they realized she was trying to speak without words. The Castle didn’t have any trouble though.

“No!” It thundered. “ _The Heterodyne must go in alone!_ ”

Wooster cleared his throat. “Allow me to point out, sir, that the rules of your game have already been breached. The false Heterodyne entered accompanied by a full complement of retainers. In the interest of parity…”

The Castle quickly brushed him aside. Zeetha instead quickly attempted to sign something to Agatha, and Tarvek attempted to translate. “She’s saying, and I’m guessing here, is that you… can’t fight… and will need protection.” He shrugged. “Well she isn’t completely wrong; Castle Heterodyne is known to be incredibly dangerous.”

Agatha grimaced; Zeetha had a point, as much as she didn’t want to admit. She was an okay fighter with a death ray, or any gun really, the Circus had helped her there, but it was unlikely she would be able to bring one with her. She would have to make one quick once she was inside.

And as unsuited as she was, at least she was unhurt.

Krosp, at her feet folded his arms. “Nuts to you, you overclocked music box. You’ll do what Agatha wants.” Agatha stared down at him, and then over to Carson.

“That’s right,” she agreed. “And I say I’m going in alone.” That prompted an eruption of protest.

Tarvek shook his head. “I really don’t think that’s a good idea.” Zeetha, with her arms crossed, nodded firmly next to him, only to wince at the action pulled against her damaged skin. Agatha glanced at her unimpressed.

“Both of you are hurt,” She pointed out dryly. Neither one of them bothered to deny that. “And this is my job, my legacy. If the Castle says I need to go alone, fine.” She added, glancing over to Wooster, and then glanced back at the two. “Plus I’m going to need someone to keep ahold of ah… some things while I’m inside. Probably best not to lose it.” She added in a whisper. Tarvek’s eyebrow went up and he nodded in unhappy understanding.

Agatha had confiscated the Wasp husk the other night before bed, not quite trusting Tarvek not to run off with it, but now she really needed a safe place to keep it until she was finished in the Castle.

“ _No!_ I want to tell her!” Carson’s body suddenly screamed, as he jerked in his chair. Everyone jumped. Then a different voice echoed. “No. I’ll do it. Now give it back!” The two voices, The Castle and Carson, argued back and forth like that for several moments before Carson gave a great push to the helmet, and with a shriek of pain, slid the device free of his skull. Blood dripped down over his nose. He took a deep breath and a maniacal grin spread across his face.

“AHAHAHAHA!” He cracked. “I win again, you wind-up pile of rubble.” The others watched him carefully; his voices were still showing traces of the Castle’s speech patterns, it was obvious that the connection took a while to wear off.

Agatha stepped forward slightly, glancing at his slowly bleeding holes in his skull. “Are you… alright?”

“Of course!” the old man crowed. “The Castle can’t hold me, by damn, that’s Why it’s _my_ job!” His hands snapped out and he gripped Agatha’s arm. Zeetha shifted into a more defensive position her gaze snapping between the two. “And you made it back down! Magnificent!” He gave another peal of laughter.

Agatha frowned. “You don’t seem alright.”

Carson rolled his eyes alarmingly. “Oh yessss. So I’ve been told. Our contact is not pleasant, but it is _invigorating!_ But don’t worry it will fade all too soon!” With that he dissolved into more giggles.

Agatha stared at him while Zeetha debating trying to get between them. After a moment Tarvek cleared his throat. “You had something you wanted to say?”

Carson’s laughter stopped as if someone had flipped a switch. “Oh yes, I won. I get to tell you. Ahem. Lady Heterodyne!” the old man grabbed his hat and Agatha’s arm and began dragging her back to the stairs. Zeetha jumped to Agatha’s heel as they moved. Wooster had enough peace of mind to grab the old man’s waistcoat as they dashed away. “We must get to the walls quickly! An army is advancing upon the black gate!”


	7. In Which Gil ShocksEveryone

Klaus glanced painfully over his steeped fingers at the first two people that had been brought before him. It would take the guard, Sergeant Kalb, awhile to round up anyone else who may have seen a green haired servant, so he had asked, not ordered, he wasn’t _that_ crazy, Dr. Sun to fetch him his first two known witnesses.

He hadn’t been very willing, but Klaus knew all of the bargaining chips: “I’ll stay in bed,” “I’ll behave,” “I’ll accept _mild_ pain killers,” and eventually Dr. Sun had caved. Being known as a… ah— _troubled_ , patient had its uses.

So now two children stood before him: A thirteen year old standing tall, but with a vague expression on his face, as if he recognized Klaus, but wasn’t quite sure from where, and beside him, hiding half-behind his legs, was a small four year old with curly, bright rust-colored hair.

James and Mason, who after the formers release, had been living in an orphanage that sat at the edge of the hospital quarters, close to the walls that separated it from the rest of the city, along with all the hotels that housed outpatients and their families and the lodgings of many of the hospital’s staff.

“Do you know who I am?” Klaus asked. “We have met before.”

James face puckered, and he looked away embarrassed. “Sorry sir, my memory—” He paused, and then continued. “My short term memory isn’t all that great, and—I’m not good with names.”

“That’s alright,” Klaus assured, his face softening a tad. “I am Baron Klaus Wulfenbach.” A look of surprise and nerves grew on James face, Klaus internally sighed. “The last time we spoke you were still in the hospital.”

“Oh, right,” Something clicked for James. “You were the one to ask about the Green Angel.”

Klaus had to work very hard to keep his lips from twitching. Referring to any Skifandrian woman as an angel was rather entertaining to him. Though he supposed the role of a guardian angel wasn’t _to_ foreign a thought. (He himself had thought of his wife that way on occasion, not that he would ever tell her, though generally he preferred Valkyrie if anything of that sort.)

“Yes, and today I bring news.” He hesitated, not quite sure how to word what was coming next. “I may know who it was that… placed you in your current situation.”

James blinked as if he didn’t quite understand, but then it clicked. “Oh…” He looked down at his brother, who glanced up at him with a cocked head. Then he looked back at The Baron. “Who?”

Klaus sighed. “At least part of, if not the entirety of the Sturmvoraus family of Stumhulten.” He answered. He paused and then glanced sharply at James. “I know this because when I was there, I… noticed a fighter woman, one with green hair.” Noticed was a bit of an understatement, forcibly made aware of as she kicked him in the face was a bit better, but no need to confuse the boy. “She was wearing a purple and red guard uniform…” He probed, hoping to spark a memory if possible. It was a long shot but—

He wasn’t disappointed. James eyes lit up, and his face took on a thoughtful look. “She—she,” he whispered as if not all there. “Lily stopped a monster attack… and there was dinner as… payment?” He frowned heavily and grabbed his brother hand. “And… there were drinks… but mom wouldn’t let me have any… and then everyone collapsed on the table—and I backed away with Mason, but somebody grabbed me with a sword—” he was shaking like a leaf, his eyes wide, tears dripping down his face.

“There was a portly man, he was… unhappy I didn’t drink? And he told the guy to k-k-k-kill me but,” Suddenly the tears stopped and his voice took on one of wonder. “She had been sitting in front of me… she couldn’t talk… but…” he looked up at the Baron, his eyes red and watery. “She jumped at the guy, and pushed him away so he couldn’t stab me, but then…” He shudder heavily, tears began to leak again. “She was shaking… on the floor and shaking, she couldn’t get up and she hurt,” His hand drifted to his neck though he didn’t seem to notice.

“She pointed at the door… I grabbed Mason but—but—but…” He stuttered to a stop, shaking heavily, his hand drifting from his neck to his chest where he had been shot. Mason, behind him, began to cry, not knowing what was going on, but knowing his brother was upset.

Klaus watched them unsure of what to do, their panic tightening the coil of fear inside him. Dr. Sun, who had positioned himself by the wall, stepped forward and gave Klaus a look that made it very clear that they were done. Klaus winced and nodded. Believe it or not, he really did prefer to not traumatize children when he didn’t have to. He was just glad nobody had tried to attack him when they were in his room. Speaking of which, Klaus glanced at Dupree, who was pouting in the corner, annoyed by all the people who had been venturing inside she hadn’t been allowed to kill. Klaus rolled his eyes.

Just as Dr. Sun was passing the boys to a nurse who had been waiting outside the door for them, a low, resonating, mechanical sound, sounded in the distance. Dr. Sun paused, and the quickly passed the boys through before leaving himself, securely closing the door behind him.

Dupree had hopped over to the window and was peering out of it. Klaus attempted to push himself up to glance out himself, but could only hover an inch before he winced in pain and collapsed back to the bed. The sounded was getting louder, echoing throughout the town, more of them joining the first.

“That’s Mechanicsburg’s alarm gongs,” Klaus declared. “Dupree what’s going on?”

Dupree’s shrug turned into an attack stance as she pulled an alarming amount of knives from her person as the door re-opened, only to sheath them with a sigh as it turned out to be only Dr. Sun returning.

“Five large war clanks are approaching Mechanicsburg’s western gate.” He explained readying a dose of sedatives. Klaus eyed the syringe before glancing back at his view of the window, which showed nothing but blue sky, the gaudy airship, and a few clouds.

“The Western Gate— I should have a decent view from here.” He attempted to push himself up but Dr. Sun was ready, and snapped two of his fingers pitilessly into Klaus chests. He let out a low squeal and collapsed back to the mattress.

“Did that hurt?” Dr. Sun asked innocently.

“Yes,” Klaus breathed out, before managing a half-hearted glare to the doctor. “Of course it did, you know every pressure point and nerve cluster in me!”

“Hmph, so I do,” he gave Klaus a stern look. “You said you would behave, and as your doctor, I say you are not yet ready for moving.”

Klaus held back a groan of frustration, as his words were used against him. But he couldn’t miss this. Not his son’s first city wide attack.1 Klaus let out a frustrated breath through his teeth. “I need to be able to see to—”

“Your son will take care of it,” Dr. Sun said dryly.

“I know,” Klaus complained. “That’s Why I need to watch.”

Dr. Sun stared down at him for a long while, and the sighed. Quickly, efficiently, and piteously he detached Klaus from the numerous IVs, wires, tubes, and catheters that he had been attached to. By the time he was done Klaus was left half-conscious and gasping for breath. “See you are completely unable to—” he was stopped by Klaus’ glare. Even in the span of a few words he had managed to pull himself together.

Dr. Sun sighed. “Dose it _really_ mean that much to you?” he asked reluctantly.

Klaus look was all the answer he needed.

“Fine,” he grumbled, throwing an arm up into the air. “Ignore you doctor’s advice.” He frowned, glancing at the pirate girl who was staring jealously out the window at the five spider-like clanks that could just be seen over the wall. Perhaps he could make this into a learning experience. “Miss Dupree.”

Both Klaus and Dupree glanced over at him surprised. Dupree pointed at herself.

“Yes, you, perhaps you could escort Klaus over to the window.”

Klaus swallowed heavily.

               

Gil stood atop one of Mechanicsburg outer walls and surveyed the area in front of him with a thin, delicate, and likely very Sparky, telescope. Before him were many high-density fields and farms of many types. The only structures that dotted the plain were a few farmer’s houses and several large stone watch towers placed evenly amongst the land. Even from his vantage point Gil could only just see the closest village to the town2 Even though Mechanicsburg had around fourteen years or so of peacetime, he could see by the lack of growth beyond the walls: no secondary industries, no agricultural stores, that Mechanicsburg had been operating as if on war time, and while he was sure his father had already noticed that, Gil filed it away for later reference.

Behind him several minions were at work putting together the last of his newest creation. He had set them to installing it before he had even touched down at the hospital. A crackling hum and a burst of light told him that the devices were beginning to activate. Excellent.

Vole didn’t make a sound as he approached, but Gil sighed anyway. “Did my father send you?” he asked, expecting the worst. He turned to look at the ex-Jäger and was surprised to find his once meticulous uniform had been rumpled and even burnt in one area, and that, more surprising, he was bleeding freely from one arm.

Vole stood at attention as Gil turned and gave a crisp salute, seeming completely unbothered by the gash on his arm. Gil glanced at it and then back at the ex-Jäger. “Well?” He prompted.

“No sir, I come vith news,” Vole replied. “Dere is another person claimink to be a Heterodyne gurl in town.”

Gil grimaced. He really shouldn’t be surprised that more than one person was attempting to take the opportunity. “And she attacked you?”

Vole gave an unbothered glance at his arm, moving his head just enough so that Gil could see a growing bruise on the back of it, and shrugged. “Dis thing? No, her companions attacked me, a brit vith a shock gun und goot dress, the other vith green hair—”

Gil’s mind had stuck on “brit, shock gun and good dress” that sounded quite a bit like Wooster that he almost missed the second line. “Green hair! Really? Was she a girl?”

Vole blinked. “Yes, sir.” He replied, as if he didn’t find that strange at all. Which Gil had to admit, giving him a glance, to a Jäger—no ex-Jäger , it really wasn’t.

Gil turned on his heel, thinking hard even as he gazed out over the landscape. Someone claiming to be Heterodyne, a girl with green hair, a man who sounded like Wooster—he had told him to get her to England! Though, Gil’s spark of anger fell, though… If Lucrezia was in Agatha, who knows what she may be capable of, or where she wanted to go. For all he knew Wooster had been wasped at some point, he may have sent his manservant straight into the wasp nest.

Vole didn’t seem to notice his thinking and continued on. “Und she had a talkink kitty vith her, und the Seneschal vith her—”

“Seneschal!” That got Gil out of his thoughts. “You mean Burgermeister Zuken? The town doesn’t have a seneschal.”

Vole cocked his head. “No that vas old Carson Von Mekkhan, I vould recognize him anyvare.” Vole barred his teeth. “Stupid ol’man.”

Gil paced, ignoring Vole. If the old Seneschal was still alive, that means they were lied to and the Von Mekkhan family wasn’t extinct, though soon to be so if his son was truly dead… though considering they had lied once who said they hadn’t lied again. He would have to have a long talk with this Carson Von Mekkhan when he had time.

Stopping his pacing, Gil brought his telescope back to his eye and looked over to the horizon. He could just see some smoke pop up from where there were no known houses or industries to cause it. He grimaced; he didn’t have a lot of time.

“When was this,” Gil asked quickly, his mind whirling. He needed to get Aga-Lucrezia in custody fast.

“Ah—” Vole hesitated. “A couple of hours ago, in de Tumbles.”

Gil jumped and spun to stare at the ex-Jäger in astonishment and frustration. “A couple of hours—where have you _been?”_ Gil couldn’t help but glance back down to his arm which was still sluggishly bleeding.

Vole grimaced. “After Hy vas… knocked out… Hy vas put in chain by de townspeople and arrested…” he forced out through his pointy teeth, dragging the last of his pride with it.

Gil rubbed at his temples. Aga-Lucrezia could be anywhere by now, and not only that, but it seemed like she had gotten the support, through trickery or wasping, of not only the secret Seneschal, but a bunch of townspeople as well. This was going to be a problem.

Unless… maybe—No, he had to keep his mind about this. Any… doubts could be dealt with after she was in custody.

A large thump strummed through the air so hard that the wall shook beneath his feet. Gil glanced up in pure frustration. He didn’t have time to work it out now.

“Ve’re beink attacked?” Vole declared looking out over the wall.

“Yes,” Gil stated sourly, as if he found Vole’s entire statement foolhardy. He looked out over the farmland to find five giant, crab like, clanks approach, one happily destroying a watch tower in its wake. “Go sound the alarms.”

 

Just long enough later that Gil had already abandoned his post on the wall, Vole at his heels, the side of an elaborate nest of chimney pots shook and then swung aside, revealing the head of a metal staircase. Zeetha exited first, swords at the ready, the alarm gongs that had been vibrating the metal stairs heavily came into full focus as she did so. She glanced around as the other exited behind her. There were some people up here, working on some device not far from the hidden staircase.

“Top of the outer western wall,” Tarvek observed. “By the west gate.”

Herr Diamant nodded at him, “The old passages can take you almost anywhere if you learn them. The Heterodynes of old enjoyed manning the defenses personally.” He nodded at the back of an ancient and weathered war machine of some kind or another. Agatha glanced at it, but her attention was taken away as she noticed the gathering of people working just a bit further down the wall, huddled around a strange machine. “What’s that?” She asked.

He looked over. “That’s something new, The Wulfenbach heir has had men working on them since late last night.” As they watched one of the workers screwed in one last screw and they cheered as a large glass dome began to fill with blue lightning, and only then did they notice that they were not alone.

“Why, it’s Herr Diamant, yes? We have all the supplies we need, thank you,” a man wearing large googles and pulling off think rubber gloves assured.

“Yes in fact I do believe we are done,” Another man replied, glancing into the distance. Zeetha forced her gaze to follow his and saw that an identical machine was set up down the wall, and then another one even further. As Agatha began asking questions, Zeetha swallowed and turned away from the electrical ball of power behind her, and instead she moved to glance out over the wall—and straight at the source of the alarms.

Seeing that Wooster was closest she pulled hard on his sleeve. He jumped, and turned to admonish her, only to get distracted. “BATTLE CLANKS!” He yelped, pointing into the distance. “Huge ones.”

Everyone crowded around Zeetha at the wall to stare at the vast contraptions that were slowly hauling the massive bulk towards them. Agatha’s eyes lit up.

“Magnificent!” She declared dreamily. Zeetha glanced at her from the corner of her eye, and was reminded of her mother’s first meeting with the Great Tree.

Krosp leapt up to sit at the edge of the wall, and glance at Agatha with a blank look. “They are here to attack us,” he reminded her.

“Yes!” Agatha agreed amiably. “I can’t wait to see them in action.” Zeetha shook her head but couldn’t help but smile a bit. Yes. Exactly like her mother and the Great Tree.

Herr Diamant smiled as well. “Well that’s a good sign.”

Krosp stared at him.

“What?” he shrugged. “Her grandfather used to open up the gates for these kinds of things, to get a closer look.”

Tarvek seemed less thrilled. “Those clanks—they belong to the Order, but… this can’t be the main attack,” he muttered. “The original plan called for the attack to happen a year or so after the Heterodyne girl was accepted, there’s no point for them to attack _now_.”

Wooster frowned beside him. “Perhaps they are her to ‘take’ the town, for Zola to deal with once she is ‘done’ to prove she is capable and not the Other,” He suggested. “Or maybe they are trying to accelerate their plans and have everything happen at once to avoid people looking to hard at the details.”

“Whatever their doing it’s foolish,” Tarvek grumbled.

“Perhaps—oh look someone is coming out,” Wooster said as he peered almost straight down into the shadow of the gate. A small door at the bottom had opened.

Herr Diamant frowned. “That’s not one of the city council.”

Wooster’s eyes widened as the figure below stepped from the shadows and began a trek straight towards the towering war machines. “That’s Master Gilgamesh!”

“What!” Tarvek and Agatha exclaimed as one as the leaned over to try and get a better look. Zeetha peered down as well, getting her first real look at Tarvek and Agatha’s Gil, as blurry and tiny a look it was. She had to admit she was impressed, his step didn’t falter as he approved the machines. He was brave, idiotic perhaps, but brave, that was for sure.

“What is he doing,” Agatha hissed. “He’s going to get himself killed.”

“Being stupid and cocky as always,” Tarvek replied in a hiss. Agatha glanced at him confused, Tarvek shrugged. “I knew him in collage. He was always getting into trouble he could have avoided,” He scowled. “And getting me in trouble too.” Zeetha rolled her eyes.

Wooster beside her jerked, and she glanced over to release that he had been pushed by a crowd that had somehow managed to sneak up behind them. She turned and stared as she realized that more and more people were flooding the walls. He hand hovered over a hilt of her swords.

“I say,” Wooster said as he made a face. “What is all this about?”

Krosp frowned and jumped up atop a chimney to get a better look. “Wulfenbach soldiers are forcing townspeople and tourist up to the walls,” he called down to them. Tarvek frowned and glanced back at the tiny figure of Gil who stood just before the lead machine. His brows furrowed.

“But most of the defenses aren’t working,” Herr Diamant complained. “What use would they be?”

Wooster frowned, and glanced back the confirmation before him. “They can observe,” he offered. Tarvek snorted but nodded in agreement.

“Gi-Wulfenbach want’s everyone to see what happens,” Tarvek continued.

Agatha looked horrified. “But…” Her face went thoughtful. She was quiet for several seconds before her eyes went wide and she let out a small, “oh.”

“Oh?” Tarvek glanced at her. “You know what he’s planned?”

Agatha bit her lip, but nodded, her eye’s straying from Gil and to one of his machines that hummed nearby, surrounded by the minions who had built it to keep the crowds away from it.

A suddenly volley of gunshots snapped her, and any other wandering attention, back to the fight before them. Dust lit up the air as shots pattered around the still Gil’s feet. He did not move.

The tiny figure raised his one arm, in which he held a long cane of some kind, and then suddenly, with a flash of light that blinded all that was watching, a humongous bolt of lightning smashed into the lead War Clank with a giant crack of sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not the longest chapter unfortunately, but that's how these things sometime works out.
> 
> Footnotes:  
> 1\. While there for his son’s first, firsts, like talking and walking, he had missed a lot of his later ones. Klaus didn’t like to think about it, but when he did, it felt to much like regret for his liking.
> 
> 2\. Several villages lay close enough to Mechanicsburg that they were considered an extension of it. This would seem like a bad move to some, beings so close to the Heterodyne’s, but the villages have long shown loyalty to them for generations, enough so that only the most sadistic or insane of the Heterodyne’s has forgotten and burned them to the ground. Old Man’s sandwich shop is located in one of these villages. And after Jägers were banned from Mechanicsburg, a small surge of families moved out to them, many of these families had children sired by one Jäger or another.


	8. In Which Klaus gathers information

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late, I got attacked by malware that shut my computer down for most of the say and then was busy with real life stuff. I hope everyone enjoys.

The entire crowd atop the wall gasped as one as Gil was silhouetted by the lightning— except for Zeetha, who found herself frozen solid, eyes glued open, as she watched the lightning dissipate, leaving only rubble in its wake. Agatha beside her broke the eerie silence with a scream of delight that had Zeetha wincing and turtling down into her shoulders.

Within moments they could see two of the four remaining battle clanks shift and weapons fall from their sides. Unfortunately a third decided that fighting was the answer, and aimed a shot at Gil that shot so wide that it blew up a section of road several dozen meters to his left. Gil lifted his staff again, and Zeetha forced her eyes closed as another clank was brought to the ground, and it was only because her knees had locked that she didn’t automatically duck behind the parapet.

On one side, just beyond Wooster who was staring in astonishment and fear, Tarvek was fighting between being entirely awed and utterly furious and making a good show of being both at once. “Lightning! He had to use lightning,” He seethed, his voice reeking with jealousy. “And he played right into the part too, saving the city from an outside attack, everyone is going to think—” He hid is face in his hands, and roughly rubbed at his temples

On her other side Agatha was quite simply over the moon in excitement, jumping and twirling so much that Zeetha actually managed to snap from her shock to grab her in fear she may fall off the edge. Agatha grinned at her as she was reeled back down. “That was incredible! Did you see what he did?” She rocked on her heels still giddy. Zeetha winced; she certainly did see what he did. It was rather hard to miss.

“It’s a logical extension of the electrified swords I built by modifying the electrical discharge system he built!” She clapped her hands together. “It’s an elegant demonstration of the underlying principles of our research!”

Zeetha stared at her, and then out to the two smoking ruins on the plain below, suddenly unsure if she understood what elegant actually meant.

Wooster and Krosp stared out over the edge of the parapet. “Is Master Gilgamesh alright?” Wooster slapped the stonework in frustration. “Dammnation this smoke, I can’t see!”

Krosp shrugged. “I can’t tell.”

Agatha and Tarvek both looked stricken, though Tarvek caught himself and turned away to rearrange his expression. “What! Of course he’s alright!” Agatha cried.

Tarvek turned back, now looking vaguely annoyed, though Zeetha could still tell he was worried. “I agree. That cad has a lucky streak ten kilometers wide, he’ll be fine.”

Wooster glanced between the two, looking uncomfortable by their conviction. “Perhaps, but there was a great many shots—”

Behind them, there was a loud bang that had everyone cringing. Zeetha turned on her heel to find, to her embarrassed relief, that Gil’s machine had burst into flames and not into some kind of electrical disaster. Flames she was fine with. Blinking Zeetha leaned back against the parapet and thought over what she had just thought. She really needed to do something about this electrical problem, and fast, she decided with a sigh and a rub to the bridge of her nose.

The scientists who had succumbed to temptation and joined the crowds to watch the show cursed and ran back as the machine warped and then melted. Agatha beside her stiffened and Zeetha followed her gaze to see that a great many smoke trails were appearing all along the wall.

“I figure at least half of them went up,” She grimaced. “Oh, Dear.”

Krosp looked up at her. “You know what they are?”

“Of course, isn’t it obvious?” Agatha asked blankly, only to catch confusing on both Wooster’s and Zeetha’s faces as well. Tarvek, at least nodded.

“Some kind of supercharged atmospheric ionization engine,” He supplied to the three’s confusion. Zeetha frowned and pulled at his sleeve hard.  Automatically, he offered. “Basically they saturate the air with static electricity, which Gi—” He cleared his throat. “Wulfenbach directs with his wand.” His attempted to keep his tone level, but Zeetha could hear the awe and wonder in it. It was obvious, to her at least, that he desperately wanted a chance to examine it.

Agatha nodded. “Exactly, which means with half of them down,” She glanced back towards the battlefield, her eyebrows furrowing. “Gil’s focus device is now useless.”

Everyone turned back to the battlefield, but there wasn’t much to see. The three remaining crab clanks had lowered to rest on their bellies, and people were slowly leaving them and lining up. Thankfully it looked as if everyone left was surrendering. Gil was still nowhere to be found, lost underneath the cloud of smoke, and mummers were beginning to descend across the crowds as they began to lose interest.

Agatha reluctantly turned away from the smoke and to Herr Diamant and Carson. “We really should be going, while the crowds are mostly up here.”

Carson nodded and led them away. He spoke with a strange, stiff formality, obviously embarrassed of how he had acted while under the Castle’s influence. “Those fools will just be the first to arrive. The Empire is weak, and the vultures will come.”

Agatha glanced back at the rising smoke, and shredded metal. “You think that will be seen as _weak?”_

Carson snorted. “No. That will be seen as impressive, but in the end, the Empire lost at Balan’s Gap. A crack has appeared at last in the Baron’s heretofore-impenetrable façade. Many people have been waiting for this, a great many, and they will see this at the first and possibly only chance they have.”

Krosp nodded. “A rebellion against the Empire, eh? Depending on who wins—”

Carson slammed his hand down against some stonework. “It doesn’t matter who wins, it matters that it will be done here. We are not players; at the moment we are nothing but terrain. To even begin to change that we need a Heterodyne in control, and not some _fake_ a Heterodyne with her own game to play, a real one who cares for the town. If you _are_ a Heterodyne, the best thing we can do is get you into the Castle, and quickly.”

Agatha absorbed this, and then nodded. She turned to Herr Diamant. “Let’s go.”

He nodded, and Agatha turned to Zeetha and Tarvek. “And I _will_ be going alone.” Seeing the frustration on Zeetha’s face she sighed. “I know, I know, you have a point, but I have a job for you.”

Zeetha’s eyebrows shot up and she cocked her head slightly.

“I—I know it’s possible,” Agatha’s voice lowered, but she knew everyone was listening all the same. “Very possible that he’s the enemy, but—I did work with him for a while, and…” She trailed off, and then shook her head. “I am still worried for him, while I’m in the Castle, I need you to go find Gil and makes sure he’s alright,” Agatha admitted with a faint blush. Tarvek let out a nearly non-verbal grunt. Agatha looked over to him and rolled her eyes. “And while you at it, keep an eye on this one too,” She added dryly, pointing with her thumb in Tarvek direction.

“Hey! She’s likely more injured than I am,” Tarvek defended. Zeetha smirked over to him, true maybe, but at least her injury, while admittedly stinging horribly and making her brain a bit fuzzy, wasn’t making it difficult to move. Tarvek already looked the verge of passing out from all the exercise today, his face pale and clammy.

Zeetha stepped around an onlooker in purple, only to stubble slightly as she was suddenly attacked by dizziness. She caught her balance, and a quick glance around showed her nobody had noticed. Okay, so fine, her injury was affecting her ability to move a bit, but that would clear up with another dose of numbing cream she was sure.

Agatha glanced at Tarvek, looking slightly concerned at his state of health, but she brushed it off and leaned in to him some. “Don’t look at me like that,” She muttered quietly. “I have a job for you too,” She added, subtly pulling the small package wrapped in cloth from under her cloak and over to Tarvek’s side. He looked slightly surprised but quickly hid it beneath his. “What?” I can’t bring it in with me, it wouldn’t be safe.”

“I’m just—” He looked at her, as if trying to read her mind. “Surprised you really trust me to have this.”

“So am I,” Krosp said with a scowl, jumping onto Tarvek’s shoulders. Tarvek let out a hiss of pain, but otherwise, with a herculean effort, managed to keep his composure.

“He’s already in enough trouble,” Agatha reasoned. “From the Empire, and from the Order I imagine as well.” She glanced at Tarvek and took his grimace as confirmation that she was right. “Plus you and Zeetha will be with him.” Krosp gave a searching look over to Zeetha, who refused to give anything away. It was obvious he still trusted her very little, though perhaps more than he trusted Tarvek. “And I’m sure Herr Vo—er—Heliotrope will be able to find you a nice, safe, secure, place to stay.” She added at last, glancing at the old man in the lead. He glanced back, a shine in his eye, and a tight grin on his face.

“I’m sure I can find something suitable,” He agreed.

Agatha smiled; glad to have everything finally on track, and then shifted her cloak. It was early afternoon, and the sun was beating the stone hard. Along with the crowd of people, and the heavy cloak she wore, it was beginning to get unbearably hot. Hopefully the Castle was cooler than this.

She rubbed a hand over her forehead to wipe away some sweat. This turned out to be a horrible mistake and the action pushed the hood back just enough or her face to come out of shadow. From several meters away a voice howled.

“There! There!” A woman surrounded by several men in civilian clothing, but standing like soldiers, shouted. She pointed towards their little group. “The Other, there!” Whispers broke out around them, and peoples’ heads began to turn.

Agatha dropped her hand, but it was far too late. Carson and Herr Diamant cursed as one in a language Zeetha didn’t know. Speaking quickly in the same language, they nodded, and Herr Diamant grabbed Agatha by the arm and began pulling her away. Carson in the meantime whispered to man next to him who nodded and ran off. Then he motioned for his group to keep moving.

“What are you doing,” Wooster hissed as the plain-clothed soldiers ran past.

“Getting her away from here,” He grumbled back. “Herr Diamant knows the hidden passageways as well as I do, he’ll get her away, and to buy him some time—”

A shout went out just behind them, as a fight broke out amongst several young men. The fight halted the soldiers, and the revenant in their steps, blocking the entire wall-walk. The soldiers quickly settled it down, but Agatha had already disappeared. Another Mechanicsburg resident pointed down a set of stairs to the city and quickly the soldiers dashed off.

Tarvek, Zeetha, and Krosp followed Carson down a little used, not quite hidden, but tucked away, staircase. Wooster had disappeared somewhere in the crowds after realizing that they were going after Gil, and they didn’t expect to be seeing him anytime soon. As they walked Zeetha glanced over to Tarvek and could easily tell he was moping, though he was attempting to hide it. She caught his eye and gave him a look.

He looked uncomfortably in Krosp’s direction, before muttering to her ear. “How am I supposed to compete with shared research?” Zeetha blinked, and then rolled her eye. Still Tarvek looked defeated and so she sighed and gave a half-hearted attempt to cheer him up but making the wasp sign with her hands, and then tapping her forehead.

“Yes… but,” he shifted his jacket, where the wasp husk laid secretly. “Those two are kind of tainted aren’t they—” His head dashed to one side. Zeetha’s followed it and saw nothing. Tapping his shoulder she gave an incredibly painful hum.

“Nothing, I just—thought I saw something,” he said unsure. He glanced at her and both of them nodded and continued the rest of the way down in silence and increased awareness.

They were several blocks past the western gate when they first heard the shouts.

“No! I’z sorry sir! Vot is hyu orders, sir!” Carson steered them towards it as another shout echoed throughout the air. “SIR! YES, SIR!”

They turned a corner only to duck back as several hundred pounds of ex-Jäger dashed past. They watched him go before their heads turned to where he had come from.

Zeetha recognized three of the Jägers: Dimo, Maxim, and Oggie. They were accompanied by another, one in purple clothes, her face hidden by a scarf. A young man, her age, teetered as they came around the corner, and collapsed heavily onto the floor. The Jägers, seemingly unaware of their presence, just stared down at him.

“Blue fire,” Tarvek muttered under his breath, picking up speed as he neared the downed man. “Is he alright?”

The Jägers glanced up at him, the female Jäger seemed apprehensive and dropped subtly into a fighting stance, but the boys just grinned. “Hoy! Itz Mizz Agatha’z odder boy,” Maxim laughed.

Tarvek choked as the others joined him, keeping his red face down as he checked Gil’s pulse. “I don’t think Agatha would agree with you on that.”

“But hyu vill?” Oggie ventured shaking his eyebrows. Tarvek refused to answer. Zeetha crouched down next to him and examined the boy in front of her. So this was Tarvek and Agatha’s Gil, this was the Baron’s son.

 Dimo and Jenka ignored the two and straightened uncomfortably as they spotted Carson. Carson tucked his arms behind his back and raised a single eyebrow. They shifted.

“Uh—dis izn’t vat it looks like…”

“Oh, so you haven’t gotten caught breaking the Baron’s deal,” Carson asked.

Maxim’s ear twitched. “Ve’re vith him,” he pointed down the collapsed Gil. “Dot should kount fer sumthing.”

Carson snorted. “It would count a bit more if he wasn’t unconscious.” He shook his head. “Where are you four taking him?”

Dimo scratched the back of his neck. “Ve vere tinkink Mamma’s.”

Carson let out a hum in thought. “That would work,” He finally said, as he motioned for all of them to follow him. Oggie picked up Gil and threw him over his shoulder. Zeetha blinked as she was forced from her thoughts as Gil was removed from her line of site. Tarvek winced in sympathy.

“Vat vill vork?”

“The ah—” Carson caught himself. “Your Miss Agatha asked Miss Zeetha here to check up on him,” He glanced at the limp boy. “It seems she was correct in doing so. She also requested that I find a, what was it, _nice, safe, and secure_ , place for the Prince to stay.” Carson’s smiled smugly, Tarvek sighed in annoyance. “Since he _has_ already been to Mamma’s, I think it qualifies.”

Oggie scratched at the base of his horn. “Hy dun tink Mamma’s kan really be called _safe_ fer a normal vun.”

Carson’s grin turned toothy. “I don’t think that’s what she meant.”

Oggie blinked in confusion.

“Why were you outside the Western Gate?” Tarvek asked, changing the subject, trying very hard to hide a limp. “Last we saw you Madam Gkika was examining your arm.”

Dimo scowled, the stub of his arm was bulged a bit, as if new, and proper dressing had been applied. “She vas, den she send uz out to vatch fer Jenka,” he shrugged his stump at the female Jäger. “Und keep an eye on de valkink vounded komink in.”

“Hmm yes, so what is the other General’s opinion on Miss Agatha?” Carson asked lowly, pausing in his step in the shadows of hanging laundry and closely knit balcony’s.

Jenka blinked and shrugged. “Dat she seemz a lot like Master Barry,” She offered. Carson narrowed his eyes in thought, and then nodded, continuing on.

Dimo shrugged. “Hy dunno, Hy tink she’z more like Master Bill, really.”

They made a turn and emerged from the tight little alleys they had been stomping through and out onto a main, and almost deserted, street. In front of them, was a large, light blue, building. Around the windows and door were frames of carved wood painted gold that depicted images of grapes, drinking glasses, and bottles. In its windows were massive signs that stated things like: Drink! And Pool! While painted right over the door was: Mamma’s Gkika’s!

For the first time since it reopened as a tourist bar, the interior of the bar was almost empty during normal business hours. One of Mamma’s girls met Carson at the door, and the two shared a few quick words, before she led the others inside. Carson turned on his heels and began his trek home, desperate for a nap, missing as a shadow jumped into a doorway as he passed.

 

 

A knock at the door sounded just as Dr. Sun was heading out, having done a stealthy check on Klaus’ vital signs. He had still been sleeping which was a god send, it made it go so much faster when Klaus wasn’t second guessing all his notes and observations.  Though it wasn’t too surprising, after his trip to the window. Dr. Sun hid a wince; he hadn’t thought Dupree would be _that_ rough.

Klaus’ eyes shot open. Dupree, who had been sitting by the window, shifted in hope. Dr. Sun opened the door, but to Dupree’s disappointment, it was just the Sergeant Kalb returned, along with several other soldiers, two in which carefully sandwiched a nervous looking man who looked as if he had dressed in a hurry. All but the two watching the man saluted, a mildly groggy Klaus waved them in with his good hand.

Dr. Sun glanced over them, and then gave Klaus a warning look, before he left. He had other patients, and he had to hope Klaus would behave for a little while as he tended to them.

Klaus examined the people before him. One he recognized vaguely. He was a master-sergeant of the First Vespiary Squad. Second Division. Second Army of East Transylvania, his uniform told Klaus, though to his annoyance he couldn’t remember his name. He was injured; his right arm in a sling, but didn’t seem to be hurt too badly.

The other soldier of note was a medic of the army, and the makings on his uniform told Klaus that he had been recently been attached to the First Vespiary Squad. He looked incredibly nervous, but unharmed.

And then, guarded by two soldiers, was a man Klaus didn’t recognize. He was young, his face showed a day or so of stubble, and he not only showed signs of dressing in a hurry, but also of having walked a long trip. His boots were splattered with mud, and his clothes dusty.

Klab stood at attention. “This is Sergeant Scorp First Vespiary Squad. Second Division. Second Army of East Transylvania, Medic Kader of the Second Medic Division currently attached the First Vespiary Squad. And finally this is Rudolf Ionescu, he was a palace guard in Stumhulten, he was brought here as part of the refugees on the lookout for the Lady Heterodyne. They have all reported significant knowledge of a female servant of Stumhulten with green hair.”

Klaus eyed the men lined up before him, before he caught Rudolf’s eye. “Rudolf,” Rudolf froze, uncomfortable. “Tell me, what do you know about her?”

“Ah—” He started, rubbing the back of his neck. “Not much sir, She was Princess Sturmvoraus’ head—or well, _only_ really, bodyguard.” He shrugged. “She didn’t eat with the rest of us. She ate with the Princess, during balls and what not she got to eat at their table…” He trailed off. “To be honest, my sister—she was a maid in the palace—was always really jealous of her because of that—and thought she was kind of stuck up ‘cause she didn’t talk with anyone though…” he frowned at the floor. “I don’t think she _could_ have had—I mean I have heard her speak, once—but it wasn’t any words I could understand.”

Klaus frowned. The girl had spoken Romanian to him, though only briefly, or at least he had thought so, perhaps he had been too far gone to realize. He shook his head, that wasn’t important.

“Sergeant Klab said you had significant information on her,” he said dryly. “This is all common stuff I imagine any of the guards or servants of Stumhulten could give me.” Though granted information that was good to know, but it was best not to tell him that, not if he wanted more.

He blushed. “I know her name, which is more than most servants know,” he offered. “She told the—” His face took on a strange quality that was hard to describe. It took a second but Klaus recognized it as familiar, it was the face of someone fighting with a wasp. “The girl, the one we are looking for—though before I think the whole—” He trailed abruptly off but waved his hand as if trying to communicate more. His face puckered in frustration and also nerves.

“I know what you mean,” Klaus respond to Rudolf’s obvious relief. “What was it?” He was pretty sure he knew it, but confirmation was always good.

“Zeetha Skifandias, sir.”

Zeetha of Skifander. Skifandrians didn’t really do last names; if they did them at all it was generally done in a way that signified a notable family member. Daughter of, Son of, Granddaughter of, it depended often on the situation. But in a foreign place, signifying where she was from made sense as well.

“And you say you were near Lady Heterodyne?”

Rudolf’s face twitched, but he nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Explain,” he paused, and then added. “What you can.”

“Uh, I was ordered by Princess Anevka to take her down into the dungeons along with one of the Geisterdamen after—” he paused. “Yeah… she was ordered to go escort us, almost sounded like a punishment really,” He scratched at the back of his neck again. “She ran off halfway there and got the—girl some clothes. She had been stripped to her underwear at the time. The—Girl asked her, her name and… er… also mentioned how she didn’t think she was there because she wanted to be…” He trailed off, but this time almost embarrassedly.

“Honestly that was the first time I ever thought that might be a possibility,” He shrugged. “Not that any of—” he choked again and then sighed. “She snorted at the question and then gave her name. After that they were quiet until they reached the cell. As we were putting the girl in, she said something like… Skidlander, maybe? Shocked Zeetha it did, don’t know Why, we went different ways after that.”

Klaus frowned. So the girl—Agatha had known about Skifander herself? Probably from Barry, he imagined. No wonder Zeetha had been shocked, Skifander was supposed to be a hidden city, far from here. It’s surprising that anyone would know it.

Unfortunately Rudolf had also confirmed his conclusion he had drawn after seeing the collar around her neck. At some point she had been captured and enslaved, how and when he didn’t know, nor Why, but it had to be more than three years ago before he first found the swords. He waved Rudolf away, who looked relieved to go, and the soldiers escorting him lead him from the room.

Klaus looked over to the two soldiers standing nearby and waited. After a moment Sergeant Scorp cleared his throat and stepped forward. Klaus nodded at him to start his report.

“Medic Kader and I first came across Miss Zeetha during the battle of Stumhulten; right after the hologram went up. She was with the Lady Heterodyne, and the new Prince of Stumhulten.”

Klaus perked up, news on the missing Prince Aaronev Tarvek Sturmvoraus was welcomed and unexpected. He hadn’t seen him in the fray, interesting.

“They were fightin’ one of the Geisterdamen, and we watched as they knocked her unconscious before we made ourselves known. I had my boys check them all and only the Geisterdamen came up as wasped.”

Klaus blinked, that was new. He would have to think on that later, also, the fact that Zeetha hadn’t been wasped, was very good news, but also surprising and suspicious. Practically everyone older than ten had been wasped in Stumhulten, what made her different. Could she possibly be Spark? Considering Gil, and Zanta, if she was his—Klaus forced the thought aside for later.

It would explain the collar though. With wasps it should have been completely unnecessary, except for sick amusement.

“Prince Sturmvoraus was injured from the fight, and Medic Kader saw to him before we moved on.” The stout man looked towards his subordinate who jolted.

“Oh, er… he had several bad lacerations to his arms and torso. Along with a stab wound to his arm, as well as a couple of cracked ribs from what I could tell, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had a concussion as well, and they may have been other injuries I missed since I didn’t have time to fully examine him before we were on the move again.” He shrugged. “He was bleeding heavily, the dressing I placed on him would slow it but they wouldn’t last forever, he would have needed stitches pretty soon after or risk bleeding out.”

“And Miss Zeetha?” Klaus asked.

The man hesitated. “She was up and moving at the time, so I didn’t see to her,” He shifted as if he had more to say, but Scorp intervened.

“After we checked them all for wasps I talked briefly with Lady Heterodyne—who I do believe was actually the Lady Heterodyne and not the Other, not at the time at least, Miss Zeetha herself told me that the music playing with the giant figure was suppressing her or somethin’—”

“She could speak Romanian?” Klaus asked. Scorp blinked, uncertain.

“Yes, sir, though—she struggled with it a bit, and her voice cracked as she did so.” He shook his head. “After that we were on the move to get her to you. Prince Sturmvoraus was being carried by one of the war clanks assigned to my unit as he was unfit to move on his own. That’s when we came across some revenants. They were after Lady Heterodyne, chanting about ‘stopping the Other,’ we were preparing to fight through when something happened and the giant image of her exploded.”

Scorp shook his head again, almost as if he was embarrassed. “I didn’t realize what the lack of music would mean at first—Miss Zeetha tried to warn me but… when I turned around she had managed to grab the Medic’s—” The medic shifted and refused to look up— “gun and had shot the Prince Sturmvoraus, then she said some fancy word and suddenly Miss Zeetha was on the ground seizing. After that she yelled an order to the crowd to kill us, and then ran off screaming the order to every resident she could find. I sent some soldiers after her but I was trapped having to attempt to hold off the crowd.”

Scorp straightened, “After we managed to get them down and chained up we moved on to the next hostile section of town. I left the downed Miss Zeetha and Prince Sturmvoraus with Medic Kader.” He turned back to the medic, who swallowed nervously.

Klaus closed his eyes in thought. So heterodyning affected the mind implant. That was interesting. He glanced at Dupree who was trying very hard to pretend she was innocent, and a rush of annoyance rushed through him. Maybe if she hadn’t blown up the hologram all of this could have been avoided. With a sigh he pushed it aside, it was his fault really, he knew what Dupree was like, he shouldn’t expect different. He would have to send a team to study the remains of the projector, to see if anything was left. Maybe just maybe there would be enough left to recover the recording of the Heterodyne humming, he owed it to Bill and Barry to at least try.

Opening his eyes he glanced at the Medic who was shifting, his fingers tapping his sides nervously. “And their condition, what was it?” The medic snapped back to proper attention.

“I had been issued a shock pistol since the town had been declared possibly involuntarily hostile, so it wasn’t lethal, but it left the Prince with trouble regaining lucidity and movement afterwards. Miss Zeetha, the word triggered a metal collar around her neck into giving her a powerful shock— but the damage I saw didn’t come just from that—she showed signs of having been hit with a much more powerful shock not long before, and her neck had heavy scaring and discoloration that indicated that the collar wasn’t a new thing. Her neck was burned heavily, I cleaned it and wrapped it as best I could but there was little I could do otherwise.

“To my surprise she woke rather quickly, though in obvious pain. I gave her some morphine to help and she managed to get to her feet to walk while I carried the Prince. We were headed to the caravan fields, which was where the last I heard medical ships were touching down—” That had been true, before he had gotten word that his target had been spotted there, he had then called them off, and touched down himself.

“At one point the Prince regained enough mobility to walk some himself, and I had Miss Zeetha help him so I could have full use of my weapon. But when we got to the field, and approached an airship touching down, but it ended up not being a medical ship—it was yours.” He paused, and blushed, his eyes drifting from Klaus’ face. “I then lost them in the crowd and the battle that happened afterwards. I have no idea where they ended up. If they live.”

He was pretty sure Zeetha had made it out alive considering the last he saw of her was her tending to him, but the medic’s words made his heart jump, if just a little. “And the Prince, you said he was capable of walking at the end, could he have fled?”

The medic shook his head. “No, sir, I doubt it, not without help. He still heavily required help to walk, and by the end he seemed to be fading again.”

Klaus’ eyebrows furrowed as he debated the chances that the Prince had been taken with Zeetha. He had been last seen with her, but that was before his fight with her, and he hadn’t been with her then. From the repots he had managed to sweet talk Dr. Sun into getting for him, he knew that the Circus that the Lady Heterodyne had been traveling with had fled with Lucrezia, perhaps he had been taken with them.

Considering that Klaus suddenly realized that Zeetha had likely been taken with her as well, she had been misguided during her fight with him, and a moment of sudden panic hit him like a punch to his already abused ribs. Lucrezia had already proven quite capable of implanting her personality.

“Sir… are you alright?” Scorp asked. Klaus blinked and realized that his panic had been written all over his face; even Dupree was looking over worriedly. Forcing it down he nodded. He would have to have several ships after them at once, and another messages sent to both Aliba and the Simon warning them of her capabilities and if possible to save—

“I’m fine,” he grunted, seeing their disbelieving looks he added. “Just a surge of pain.”

Medic Kader looked concerned, glancing over him with a doctor’s eyes, “I could call for Doctor Sun?” He offered. Klaus hid a grimaced at the idea, and brushed it off quickly.

“I’m fine,” he repeated before glancing at Scorp. “I need you to courier some orders.” Unlike most of his officers, Scorp stood to attention and didn’t seem insulted at the idea. Using his better hand, he scribbled his orders on some paper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, next week I'm not going to guarantee that a chapter will go up but it's slightly more likely than before that one will. Chapter nine is finished for the most part, I'm even debating splitting it into two, it's the chapters right after it I'm not as sure on, but they are all prose (no more outline and bits.) so it's getting there. I'll be occasionally updating updates on my tumblr (Han100894) if people want to be kept informed.
> 
> Thanks to all for their support so far. I'll be working hard to get it out as soon as possible!


	9. In Which Everyone Gets Medical Attention

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to Para/Firecoloredwater for helping me with a tricky part on this chapter last minute, and for helping me overall on other parts as well.
> 
> Also fyi, I'm actually rather sick at the moment, so some editing might be really messed up. I'll take a relook when I'm feeling better but i didn't want to miss another week.

“Vere’s Mamma,” Dimo asked as they were led to a backroom.

The room was simple but comfortable. A large wooden table, with plenty of cushioned chairs, sat to one side. At the other was a cold fireplace surrounded by overstuffed couches and armchairs. The wooden floor was half covered with plush rugs that the faux-Jägergirl, Lola, swiped at Dimo for attempting to stand on with his muddy boots. He backed off with a grumble.

“Up on de roof,” She told them as she began pouring some water from a water pitcher. “She wanted to watch de show.” She turned back around in time to watch Oggie attempt to place the downed Gil on the table. “Hoy! Stop that, we eat there, and I can see some blood coming through his coat,” Oggie paused, and she rolled her eyes, placed the drinks down, and walked over to a small out of the way door that led to a closet.

She returned quickly with a spartan, military style blanket, which she laid out over the couch. “There, you can put him down, but gently, _please,_ ” She turned from him and re-picked up the drinks. She then returned her attention back to Zeetha and Tarvek with a tired smile.

“This is our breakroom, you’ll be safe from de tourists, when they return, here.” She passed them each a glass. “Take a seat, please; you both look like you’re going to pass out.” Tarvek blinked, but carefully lowered himself into one of the cushioned chairs. Zeetha hesitated just a bit longer, but as a light wave of dizziness hit her, sat as well. Quickly she untied the cloak from her neck, the heat wasn’t helping.

Her blood sugar was way too low, and she was dehydrated, and the glass of alcohol that she had drank on an pretty much empty stomach wasn’t helping either. That had been a bad idea, even if had been the first thing even close to a proper drink of alcohol she’s had in ages. Eyeing the glass in her hand, Zeetha took a small sip, and winced as it slowly made its way down. She really needed to find somewhere with a mirror so she could numb her neck again.

“Hoy!” There was a clattering outside the door, and it burst open as if kicked. “Lookie vho Hy found sneakink around,” Mamma came in cheerfully, holding a squirming bundle of kicking cloth easily by one arm. “Figured Hy should make sure it vasn’t vun uf hyu’res before dealink vith her.” The figure suddenly stilled, though apparently not at Mamma’s words, but at Tarvek. Now that she wasn’t moving Zeetha could examine her. She had short, choppy—red… hair.

Zeetha glanced back at Tarvek just as the girl yelled, “I knew it was you!”

Tarvek sighed. “Hello, Violetta.”

“Zo, hyu _do_ know each odder,” Mamma observed glancing between the two.

“Well… She _is_ my cousin,” Tarvek admitted glancing away.

Mamma frowned and pulled the hanging girl closer, peering at her. “Hy dought her hair looked familiar. Anodder of Ol’Andy descendants, huh?”

Violetta blinked, her mouth opening slightly at the thought.

Tarvek sighed again. “Yes she is, though not as close.” Violetta shot Tarvek a glare. “You can let her go, when I’m around she is under my power, and unless she somehow got wasped in the last three years, she should be wasp-free as well.”

Violetta’s eyes went wide, confused. Mamma dropped her and she landed easily on her feet. She shook her confusion off her face and strode right over to stand in front of the chair Tarvek had collapsed in.

“So you _are_ alive.” She hissed dryly.

Tarvek winced. “Barely.”

She scowled, “First you get in some kind of mess in Stumhulten with the Other, and then you disappear, at then you randomly show up in a cloak on top of Mechanicsburg’s wall. What _are_ you doing?”

Tarvek lifted up one finger. “Stumhulten was not my fault, first of all, and secondly I attempted to _stop_ the Other from returning, does that mean _nothing?_ ”

“Velllllll—” Maxim said from here he was sprawled in an armchair. “Hyu _did_ fail.” Tarvek shot him a dark look.

“To answer your questions,” Tarvek said, attempting to ignore the giggling Maxim behind him. “I’m with the Lady Heterodyne. I’m helping her get her power back. I’m also planning to help her remove her mother from her mind as well as _cure_ the wasp epidemic.” He pulled out a small notebook and his fancy pen and scratched something in. “I’ll need you on the first of the list for that,” he mumbled and then snapped the book closed. “There’s more, but I’ll tell you later.”

Violetta rolled her eyes. “Which means _never_ knowing you.” She glanced over to Zeetha, who was watching the show with vague interest. “And who are you?” She asked with a notable attempt at not taking her boiling frustration out on her. She examined Zeetha, before her eyes zeroed on to her pants, which was still the same as the castle guards at Stumhulten. Her face went dark.

“Really?” Violetta shouted gesturing at Zeetha with her hands. “I know I was completely horrible, but _really_!” Zeetha stared, her mouth slightly open. “I got posted out to this dump and got replaced by somebody who isn’t even a Smoke Knight!” Tarvek half-attempted to lift a finger and interrupt her but she kept going. “Not even family!” She slapped a hand onto the table with a dull thud. “I wasn’t that—”

Violetta came to a violent stop as the sound of shattering glass interrupted her. Zeetha stood, not caring in the least that her hand was dripping blood and covered in glass shards. She towered over the much shorter girl, who flinched back in surprise.

Zeetha slammed her shredded hand onto the table, once again not caring at all about the glass shards she was grinding into it. With the other she roughly pulled down the collar of her jacket. Violetta’s eyes were forced to gaze right at the heavily bandaged neck, as well as the innocent-seemingly collar that circled it.

“I spent three _years_ chained to that damn palace,” She roared, too far gone to care for things like pain. “I watched many of you _die_ there!” She wasn’t even sure if she was speaking in Skiff or Romanian at this point, nor did she really care. “Ni do go complaining to _me_ that you got sent away, when I had ni choice!” She straightened, fixed the jacket collar roughly, and marched away. Violetta gaped after her as Tarvek watched sadly.

“What—what was that all about?”

Tarvek sighed. “It’s—a long story.”

 

Mamma returned, her arms loaded with medical supplies, and several of her more medically equipped girls behind her, just in time to see the confrontation and to dodge as Zeetha dashed past her and away. She watched her go before shaking her head.

“Hyu gurls take dis lot down onder und gets dem fixed op,” She orders, dumping the supplies into one of the girls arm, taking only a couple rolls of bandages and a small tube for herself. “Hy vill be down soon to check op on dem.”

Quickly she ducked from the room, followed the scent of fresh blood, and easily found Zeetha, who had paused in one of the back corridors, resting her head against a cool, wooden door.

“Let me seez hyur hand,” Mamma ordered quietly, but Zeetha still jumped, and stumbled. Blearily she glanced at Mamma. “Don’ gif me dat look, hyu are gettink blood on my floors.”

Zeetha blinked, but turned around, leaned heavily against the door, and then offered her hand. Mamma took it in hers, and using her claws as tweezes began to clear out the glass. Zeetha didn’t even wince, her neck hurt far too much for her to care about such minor pain.

Mamma was just about done when she spoke again. “Sum uf my gurls came from dere.” Zeetha didn’t have to ask what she was talking about and just closed her eyes.

“Nothing ever happened,” She finally muttered. “I killed anyone who tried.” Her voice was hoarse and cracked and under it all it was obvious that Zeetha wasn’t completely sure if she was even right. Mamma just gave a low hum, covered Zeetha hand in cream of some kind, and placed some gauze in it.

“Klutch hyu’re hand,” She ordered. Zeetha did as told. “May Hy seez it?” She asked. Zeetha’s eyes blinked open, and her hand came up to rest on her collar.

“I—” She paused and then nodded, and using her own hands lifted the collar off so Mamma could take a look.

With a surprising gentleness, Mamma unwrapped the bandages, but still Zeetha had to bite her lip to keep from making a sound. As Mamma examined her neck, her eyes narrowed, Zeetha kept talking to keep her mind off it. “I ni did— _didn’t_ get it before—I got it—Stumhulten.”

Mamma snorted. “Dey haff alvays been snakes, it doesn’t sooprise me.” Backing away slightly she frowned, and pulled out a very small vial out of a hidden pocket. “Hyu neck is very bad,” She said blandly. “Und de Lady vill need hyu at top strength. Normally Hy vould mix dis in vith a drink bot—” She opened and handed Zeetha the vial. “Itz Battledraught, it vill fix hyu op right quick, but itz made for Jäger, not normal peoples. Zo it may not be fun.”

Zeetha stared down at the little vial in her hand, the other holding up her collar awkwardly while still clutching the gauze. Well… it wouldn’t be the first time she drank something strange in the last few days. With a deep, courage inducing breath through her nose she chugged it down. It tasted strongly of lemon and malt, enough that Zeetha almost gagged.

Then, suddenly, the room spun, and Zeetha had to let go of the collar to throw her arm out for balance. Mamma’s clawed hands dug carefully into her shoulders and kept her up. Her injuries, on both her neck and hand flared up and Zeetha barely managed to hold onto consciousness. After a moment it passed, and Zeetha was surprised to find that the collar wasn’t chafing her neck anywhere near as badly as she expected.

Mamma actually looked surprised as well, tilting Zeetha’s chin back to examine her neck. “Dat vent… moch faster den hy dought it vould.” She gave Zeetha a strange, calculating look. “Und easier. How do hyu feel?”

Zeetha pursed her lips, and pulled away from Mamma. Her neck still stung, but no more than it normally did after a bad day of shocking. And her hand—Zeetha pulled the gauze away and glanced at the almost healed scars in its wake. “Good.” She replied with some surprise, sharing a look with Mamma.

Mamma still seemed deep in thought as she led Zeetha down through a bunch of sub-basements and then finally into the large hall that was the Jägers version of Mamma’s Gkika’s. Zeetha got only a quick glance at the chaos before Mamma was pulling her away, down a long corridor, and into a bunch of back rooms. It took a moment but Zeetha realized they were back to where she had first come in, not far from the General’s meeting room.

Mamma stopped at an open door, in which Zeetha could see that the Faux-Jäger girls were undressing Gil, and nodded on ahead. “Hyu know vere de meetink room is, jah?”

Zeetha nodded and Mamma sent her off, before turning into the room to check on Gil herself. Zeetha found the meeting room easily. As she entered only Tarvek looked up at her. The Jäger boyz were gone again. Krosp was too busy happily drinking through a bowl of cream, while Violetta shifted and refused to meet her eyes. Zeetha ignored her, walked over to the seat she had sat in before, and looked Tarvek in the eye.

“I can talk now,” She said, her voice sounding better than it had in a long while. Tarvek eyed her, and looked ready to refute that, when he noticed that the collar wasn’t peeking over the top of her jacket. He closed his mouth and looked at her thoughtfully.

Zeetha collapsed happily into her chair and pulled out one of the napkins filled with pastries. Her stomach growled, and her eyes lit up.

“How—?” Tarvek asked after he had watched her eat some of the pastries, and then winced as he shifted and pulled on some stitches. “And can I get some of whatever—?”

“No,” Mamma’s voice came in through the door. She followed not long after. “She iz combatant, hyu are smart guy, hyu injuries vill clear op in a few dayz, herz vould last longer und if leff alone kould cause lastink problems. Plus hyu don’ need to valk, she _does_ need to eat.”

Zeetha glanced up, her cheeks puffed out in pastries. Violetta glanced over, looking more jealous than anything at the pastries laid out before her.

Tarvek leaned carefully back. “Plus keeping me injured and in such limiting my ability to escape should I wish.” He narrowed his eyes. “And meaning that should I ever actually find myself in a fight I would have a severe disadvantage.”

Mamma snorted. “Hyu vill be here, hyu vill be perfectly safe. Plus by tonight hyu vill already feel a lot bedder, hyu vill see. Dey really ain’t _dot_ bad.”

“Says the Jäger who can take a lot more that _any_ normal human.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Sayz de Jäger vho haz been vorking on Jäger und normal pipple alike for hundredz uf yearz.” She shook her head. “Anyvay, de Young Wulfenbach vill be fine, dough he vill be out for a vhile. Vould hyu like to seet vith him?”

For a moment Zeetha continued eating, but then paused as she realized Mamma was talking to her. With a full mouth she pointed at herself.

“De Lady _did_ say hyu vere supposed to vatch him, correct?” Mamma added with a raised eyebrow and far too knowing eyes that Zeetha couldn’t make sense of. She was hinting at her, hinting that she suspected or knew something, but Zeetha wasn’t sure what.

Still Zeetha rose, plopping one last pastry into her mouth, and passed the last one to a startled Violetta in apology for blowing up at her. She took it slowly. Zeetha figured that the two of them should probably at least try and get along, and she _had_ been staring hungrily at them as she ate.

Following Mamma out, she paused at the door, and glanced back at Tarvek, who shook his head, keeping his eyes hidden. “You know what it was like in Paris, it’s probably best he doesn’t wake up with me around.” He turned away from her and back to his journal in which he was writing down something. Zeetha just nodded and left.

 

Klaus watched as Dupree dealt with a few rabbit-like clanks in boredom while Dr. Sun unperturbedly went about checking all his machines. It wasn’t a particularly interesting fight, Dupree was shredding through the clanks with ease, and didn’t look too pleased by that either. He was going to have to find something for her to do, if only because a bored Dupree, even one who couldn’t speak, would only stay bored for so long before something exploded. He preferred not to have to deal with that.

“Retreat!” One of them sounded in an incredibly high voice that had Klaus cringing. The three left hopped away as fast as they could. Dupree easily brought two to the ground but the last one nearly made it to the open door before it was blocked by a big mass of blue bulk.

“Ve ken’t have dat,” the bulk said, and with a stomp on its rabbit feet, and a good grip on its rabbit ear-like antennas, he easily, one handedly, pulled the rabbit in two. It let off one last high-pitched squeak of static and then was gone. Without bothering to look at the dangling scrap of metal and wires he added, “Hy have a report to give.”

Recognizing the bulk as his ex-Jäger Klaus held up his good hand. “Dupree stop!” Dupree pulled up last second and her bullet smashed through the doorframe right next to Vole’s face. Vole glanced at it with dull interest. Dupree glanced back at Klaus with frustration but he waved her aside.

“Vole you have a report?”

“Yah. On orders from Master Gilgamesh, Hy haff brought hyu de leader of dose var schtompers. He is in need uv medical attention.”

Dr. Sun straightened from where he had been peering into a gauge on one of Klaus’ machines. He gave the ex-Jager a bored glance. “I’ll be the judge of that. Where is he?”

Vole wordless held up his other hand, a blood soaked sack slipped and fell, revealing the rather surprised head of one General Rudolf Selnikov, and nothing else.

Dr. Sun blinked and then harrumphed. “Yes. Well… tricky, certainly, but I’ve seen worse. Let’s get him prepped.”

He gave a quick jab to Klaus’s stomach. Klaus sucked in a pained breath, but also recognized it was far gentler than it could have been. “Behave Klaus,” he ordered and then called for an orderly to come grab the head, before rushing out.

Not moments later a nervous looking orderly stuck her head into the room. Klaus gave a stern glare at Dupree for shifting as Vole handed the head over.

“Vole, where have you been?” He asked.

The ex-Jäger looked indignant. “Dere vos a lot uv dead guys und busted machines to dig through! Dot’s not as much fun az it sounds like!”

Klaus decided to ignore Dupree’s nod and look of understanding.

“Und Hy took sum time to talk to sum guards. Und Hy iz pretty sure dot both Heterodyne gurls are in de Kestle now.” Vole continued. Klaus’s thought process quite suddenly stuttered to a stop, and then restarted in a rush.

“BOTH HETERODYNE GIRLS!” He roared. Dupree flung herself back and then tried very hard to pretend she hadn’t. Vole grimaced.

“Yes. De fake vun und de real vun,” He shook his head. “Hy ran into her a couple uv hours ago, in de Tumbles. She attacked me, und she had de Seneschal und sum companions vith her.”

“Seneschal—” Klaus shook his head, frustrated with lies and disobedience. “And nobody thought to tell me about her. Why wasn’t I informed earlier?”

“Ve ver’re busy vith Var Stompers,” Vole tried, cringing back at Klaus’s tone of voice. He looked away. “Und, um, her companions… knocked me out un de townspeople arrested me… took avhile to get out uf the chains.”

Klaus tried to take a soothing breath, but all it did was make his chest hurt. “And my son, does he know?”

“Yah, Hy told him.”

“And where is he now?”

“He iz at Mamma’s Gkika’s, Herr Baron.”

“Mamma—And what does he think he’s doing there with the Other on the lose!” He slammed his fist down on the bed, unsatisfied by the dull thump the mattress gave.

“Uh—gettink healed?” Vole tried, looking as if he really rather be anywhere else.

“Healed? Why would—” Klaus frowned and considered that. General Gkika had always had some girls trained in minor medical arts. Jägers could only receive medical attention from other Jägers or the Heterodynes. But most accepted simple things like stitches and bandages from non-sparks, and Mamma used that to her advantage. At the very least they would be able to fetch and clean up afterwards. After Gkika left it was likely most of the girls still worked there, she was unlikely to leave it to anyone else.

So if Gil was only injured slightly, and if he wanted to avoid Dr. Sun extensive diagnoses and wait time, it would make sense he would go elsewhere, If only to be free to run the Empire quicker.

Klaus nodded his head in approval, and then allowed his thoughts to drift to the real problem.

“The real Heterodyne Girl is here,” Klaus repeated in a tired, slightly panicky, voice. Using his good hand he rubbed at his nose.

“Hmph, yah, und she isn’t effen vun of the fun vons either,” Vole grumbled. Klaus thought process crashed once again and he stared at Vole questioning.

“Not one of the fun ones?”

“Yah, Hy checked, but she gave herself op for a keed. De old Masters vould have neffer done that.” He shook his head as if he couldn’t get over this new generation. “Miss Lucrezia vouldn’t haff eider,” he added with a thought. “Pity, but she iz too much like her Poppa.”

“For a kid?” Klaus eyes narrowed. “What did you _do?”_

Even Vole wasn’t so thick not to note the tone of warning in Klaus voice. He glanced away. “Nutthink, nobody gots hurt but _me._ ”

Klaus sighed, but Vole had a point. Lucrezia wouldn’t have risked her cover so easily—not unless she wanted it to be blown, or she was trying to prove to someone that she wasn’t her. This seneschal perhaps—Klaus would have to look into that, the records said the Von Mekkhan family was extinct, perhaps a very distant relative, someone talking their place, another fake, or maybe the records had been nothing but a lie? He didn’t know but he needed to find out.

But if he wasn’t wasped it would explain Lucrezia acting so out of character. She would likely need this mystery man’s help into getting into the Castle. And if this man had enough moral sense to not bow down to the Other, Heterodyne or not, he could give Klaus time. The problem was that he couldn’t be sure if a Mechanicsburg could do that for long when facing a Heterodyne. And unfortunately any time he could have brought them was now minimal, she was already in the Castle, and surely once and if she emerged with the Castle blessing, Mechanicsburg wouldn’t care if she was the Other or not. He had to work fast.

Klaus roughly pulled some paper on to the makeshift writing surface that he had been granted by Dr. Sun for good behavior, and quickly began jolt down some orders.

“Vole!” Vole snapped to attention from where he had been idly picking some dirt from under a claw. “I need you to deliver these to the first officer you see that isn’t on duty and isn’t badly injured. Make sure they know to get it to Boris as quickly as possible.”

“Yes sir,” He responded not sounding particularly infused. Klaus gave him a dark look. “After that you will be immediately assigned to my guard here at the Hospital.” It would at the very least limit Vole to a couple of other guards, himself, Bang and Dr. Sun. It always boggled Klaus mind that the ex-Jäger, who had no outside support from the pack to keep his old ways, was the one who made the least changes in his attempts to curb the blood thirstiness of the Jägers.

“Yes, sir,” Vole repeated with a try at a salute, looking more infused. Dupree gave him a sad, pitying look as he turned to leave.

 

Zeetha stared down at the sleeping man, her eyes examining every feature of his face. He had incredibly thick and fluffy hair that had Zeetha pulling at her own spikey bangs. His nose reminded her of her mother’s, which was a feature that she shared, while his brows were surely different, but so was hers, much thicker and fuller than her mother’s narrow ones. Kind of like—

Kind of like the Baron’s if she was being honest with herself. Zeetha sighed and sat back in her carved wooden chair and stared at the ceiling. It had been nearly two hours, all of her pastries were gone, and she was really beginning to feel bored. But she had promised Agatha, and she really did want to speak with him as soon as he got up.

She hadn’t been completely alone, Dimo had popped in briefly to tell her that Herr Diamant had visited the upper floors to tell Mamma that Agatha had entered the Castle with no trouble, and now all they could do was wait. Mamma herself had also popped in, a jug of water and another vial in her hand. She had poured the vial into a cup and asked her to mix it with the water and make him drink it as soon as he woke, if she could. She also warned her about potential side effects of the Battledraught and to not let herself get worked up. Zeetha had nodded and she had left to deal with some rowdy patients down the hall.

Which had left Zeetha to her own devices, and for sheer lack of anything else to do, she had found herself drawing random squiggles, shapes, and letters onto Gil with her NOPET1 .

She was half way through writing Demor on Gil’s body before realizing what she was doing and stopping abruptly. She looked away, took a deep breath, and rubbed at her temples.

Which is exactly the moment Gil decided to shift under the blanket, Zeetha looked back to find him blinking his eyes open and closed as he shifted again. Getting up she walked over to the water jug and mixed him his medicine.

She sat back down and watched him make his final steps into consciousness, noting tiredly that his eyes were the same exact color of her mothers. Seeing that he was tensing up, she held up one hand. “Relax, you safe.”

He turned to look at her, and did the exact opposite, tensing up even more, and pushing himself up onto his elbows. His eyes shifted around the room, Zeetha watched him carefully, and realizing he was feeling trapped, leaned back.

“Relax,” She told him as she carefully gauged his body language. Doubting he would take it, but feeling the need to try anyway, she offered him the cup. “Here, drink this, it good for you.”

He glanced at her, his eyes only glancing down at the cup for a moment before they were back on her. His arms tensed, she raised an eyebrow. “You ni could— _couldn’t_ do it.” She added gently.

“Do what?”

“Throw the cup to me and escape,” Zeetha tilted her head as Gil’s eyes went wide. Right on one.

Carefully he snatched the cup from her outstretched hand. “Apparently not, how—?” His eyes once again flickering to her, and then back to the cup as he took a careful sniff.

Zeetha settled back into the chair and watched. “Eye movement, body language, your arms tensed—” She shrugged and finally Gil took the tiniest sip. Well it was a start. There was a hum at the back of her throat but she swallowed it down. “Why?”

Gil’s eyebrows shot up and he sneaked a look at her. “Why what?”

“You saw me and you tensed up,” Zeetha tilted her head. “Why?”

Gil hesitated and carefully lowered his glass. He spoke slowly and evenly. “My father—he told me that someone looking like you may be out to kill me.” He stopped, even though it looked as if he wanted to say more, and glanced at Zeetha, hoping to gauge her reaction.

Zeetha brows shot up and inward and she stared heavily at the man. Out to kill him? A Skifandrian sure, that would make sense, but a War Princess? He had recognized her as one, and surely he would know they were no danger to—

 Zeetha was so lost in her thoughts that she barely managed to snap out of them quick enough to snatch the speeding mug from Gil’s hand as he attempted to throw it at her. He stopped short as suddenly the mug was gone, while Zeetha glanced at it to make sure none of it had spilled. Thankfully none had—she doubted Mamma would be happy to know some of her Battledraught had been wasted.

Catching his eyes on her, she took the smallest of sips. It was watered down so it shouldn’t do much to her, and hopefully it would get him to actually drink the thing. The watered down lemon and malt flavor wasn’t horrible, though all it did was remind her of the non-watered down version and she couldn’t help but make a bit of a face. “See? No poison.” She threw it back to him, and he caught it in midair. Zeetha nodded in approval.

As he finally took a decent sized sip she smiled. “Nice reflex,” She added, almost as if an award. “You _nearly_ had me trouble, _almost_.” Her smile was one most often seen from a parent when applauding their child’s growing skill. This didn’t sneak past Gil’s attention, and he scowled and rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”

Zeetha smiled again. “I won’t kill you.” She told him as she leaned back causally into her seat. Then she frowned in mock thought. “Well… unless you try to hurt my Zumil,” Her frown turned into a devilish, somewhat threatening smirk.  “Agatha.”

His whole body jerked and he almost choked on his drink. “Agatha! Is she alright? Where is she? Is she—her?”

Zeetha smirk fell and all amusement went with it. “Why should I tell? Didn’t you kidnap her—attempt to force her to marry you?”

Gil’s face drained of color, “What no I—well yes but…” He stared down at his covered legs for a moment in an attempt to gather his thoughts. Zeetha watched him and then turned away to stare at the celling, her words hitting her almost as hard as him. She couldn’t just trust him because he – maybe—might be her brother. That didn’t make the things Agatha told her untrue. She had to remember that.

“I—” Gil started. “First of all, _I_ didn’t kidnap her, my father did, and he did it to keep this man, who he thought was a Spark, and also her boyfriend, in line…” Gil’s voice trailed off a bit. His excuse and justification coming out dull to his own ears.  “But you see, he was wrong, she was actually the Spark, and they didn’t even like each other. I figured it out, but I waited and did some tests.”

“Yeah, Agatha told me that,” Zeetha said slowly. “So you played with her—for fun?”

“No!—I was… just trying to prove my dad wrong…” Zeetha didn’t seem impressed, and Gil didn’t feel impressed either. He glanced away and changed the subject.

“And I wouldn’t call it forcing—it was just the best option. Girl Sparks are in serious innate danger, they are always disappearing, either because of experiments gone wrong, being married away to be breeding stock, or just vanishing. If she married me, I could protect her, and she could experiment all she wanted, and I would finally have someone equal to talk with—” he stopped as he realized Zeetha was just staring at him dully. When she realized he was done she raised an eyebrow.

“What?” Gil asked defensive.

“You asked her to _marry_ you?”

“… Yes?”

“While she was _hostage_ of your father?”

“Well, she wouldn’t be for long once—”

“While she was on airship _nobody_ could leave without permission?”

“Er—”

“After she had already been assaulted by the _one_ person assigned to _protect_ _hostages_?”

“ _Wait!_ Madam Von Pinn did _what_?”

“And _you_ didn’t take no for answer, _more_ than _once_?”

“Ah…”

“But you _still_ say that you weren’t forcing her? That she had choice?”

“You’re making it sound like I—I don’t know— Wasped her or something!”

“ _No_. But using your power to force something doesn’t change fact that you take away her choice. The difference isn’t really different.” Zeetha shrugged, her hand touching the collar of her jacket. Her voice was heated, as if this meant more to her than Gil could understand. “What’s difference, really, between not being able to say no, and having your no be worthless because of _pain_ , or _death_ , or… _other horrible things_. Difference is—” she waved her hand frustrated, unable to find the word she wanted in Romanian.

“Negligible,” Gil offered quietly, his thoughts far away. Zeetha paused, and then nodded.

“Maybe you didn’t _really_ mean it that way,” Zeetha continued quietly. “Maybe you didn’t think the situation she was in through. But if so, you going to have to prove it, not to _me_ , not really, but to _her._ ” She shook her head. “And in any case, now isn’t the time, we have other problems.”

Gil wasn’t listening though; his mind was stuck on what Zeetha had said. Thinking back it was incredibly easy to see how Agatha would have taken his proposal. His hand drifted up to touch the gas connector he had strung on a small beaded cord. He had been embarrassed by it before, because even he could tell just how un-romantic and spur of the moment it had been; but now, now he was just horrified. He hadn’t thought any of it through and only now was it drawing on him how badly he had screwed up.

“Agatha must hate me,” He whispered. Zeetha stared at the gas connector, its presence pulling at something in the back of her mind. Agatha had mentioned something like that—it had been what Gil had used to—propose to her? And yet two months later, after a fake death, here he was wearing it. Zeetha wasn’t quite sure how to take that, but she could see at the very least Gil wasn’t likely out for her blood.

Zeetha pinched the bridge of her nose, a movement that had Gil glancing at her strangely. “She doesn’t _trust_ you, but doesn’t _hate_ you either.” Seeing that she had barely gotten through to him she rolled her eyes and offered. “She liked your show earlier.”

Gil brightened a bit. “She saw that?”

“Yes.” Zeetha rubbed at her temples. “Look. She doesn’t trust you, _I_ don’t trust you, but we _need_ you.” She leaned forward, snatched Gil by the hair and forced Gil to stare her in the eye. “So know this. Agatha is my _Zumil_. If you hurt her—I don’t care _who_ you are—I will kill you.”

Gil didn’t try and pull away. “I don’t know what a Zumil is but I get the idea.” He paused and looked away as much as he could with his hair still held hostage in an iron grip, to get control of himself. After a moment he turned back, his face grim.

“Now tell me, is Agatha really herself?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So hiatus is hopefully over and should stay over until chapter 16. Hopefully by then I'll have teh rest of the story finished but if not I'll do another small hiatus until it is. Thanks everyone for reading.
> 
> Footnotes:  
> 1\. A multi light tool built by Tarvek that Zeetha swiped in part 1.


	10. In Which Gil and Tarvek Make a Poor Attempts at Chatting

Zeetha sat back and studied him. “What do you think?” She asked.

Gil was stunned by the unexpected question. He glanced at his hands. ”My father… he is certain that she is the Other. That Lucrezia won and is now in control. I—well I want to hope that she isn’t, but that message in Stumhulten, it doesn’t… bode well on her.

“And—I’m worried that my judgment—may be affected, because… if she isn’t… and she will accept my apology, well—”

Zeetha frowned and rolled her eyes with a scoff. Gil’s face crumpled in frustration.

“You think this is simple,” Gil hissed, his hands clenching at the bed spread. With a scowl he threw it to one side without thinking. “If it was just about me I would take my chances, but it’s not! The Other _devastated_ Europa, and Agatha has admitted that she is _in_ her, that she is _fighting_ for _control_ of her.”

He stormed to his feet in a frenzy, his voice going straight to madness. “I’ve never known my father to be wrong about _anything_ until Agatha! And I hope he’s wrong now but what if he’s not? What if I’m missing something!” He paced right past Zeetha, who was barely listening, and just letting him rant himself out. She glanced down at his very bare lower extremities, before glancing at his face unperturbed. He certainly was missing _something_. That was for sure.

Gil turned to her, and thrusted his face right into hers. “How can I justify the possibility of all that death and destruction again?” He spread his hands wide. “ _Just_ because I fell in _love_!” He panted and Zeetha raised an eyebrow and using one finger pushed him back some.

“You done?”

Gil blinked and shoved a hand through his hair. He looked a little disturbed. “Yeah, yeah I’m good.”

“Great,” Zeetha said dryly. “First. Yes. Agatha is in control. You can thank your father. The locket he brought shut Lucrezia’s mind down hard—” Gil looked as if he wanted to say something but Zeetha refused to let him get a word in edge wise. “Agatha’s uncle made it for her as child, stopped her from Sparking out. Let her hide. It dampened Agatha’s brain, now it damps down hers.”

Gil opened his mouth, paused, and then sighed. He brought a hand up to rub at his chin. His eyebrows furred in concern. “So that locket, it’s the only thing keeping Agatha in control?”

Zeetha paused, not quite sure how much to tell him, “Keeping her constantly in control,” She went with.

Gil looked dismayed. “That’s not good. It means that—”

“You two ever get alone, you make damn sure it stays on.” Zeetha interrupted, crossing her arms behind her head and leaning back on the chair’s back, keeping an eye on Gil through her eyelashes.

Gil nearly tumbled to the floor, his face turning a color that would neatly match Tarvek’s hair.  When he finally managed to talk his voice was strained and high. “I’m reasonably certain that there are more important considerations than that.”

Zeetha was amused by the colors he was turning. The blush was crawling down his neck and into his chest. “Not if you want avoid kissing the Other,” She made a face. Glancing back at him and noting his expression she sighed. “Look. Neither of you know each other. Neither of you can trust the other. But it obvious that you _like_ each other. Agatha is dealing with that okay, but you are jumping all over the place. You can’t pick side. You can’t think. So the best thing the two of you can do is try and get it out of your system.”

Gil’s face was not cooling in the slightest; Zeetha was impressed with how far his blush could go. “I never thought there was anyone out there with a poorer grasp of romance than myself.”

“Romance? I not talking about _romance_ ,” Zeetha said with a roll of her eyes. She pushed off with her foot and began to rock on the chairs back legs, keeping the motion steady with the slightest shift of her foot.

“But clearing your heads so you can get to work. You have lot of power; Agatha will have lot of power. You both are going to need to think straight.” She waved her hand. “Romance can happen when all this is over.” She frowned and considered. “Maybe.”

Gil gaped a bit, but he couldn’t deny she had a point. “What would you suggest?” He asked, before thinking it through. He winced at what kind of response he might get.

To his surprise she stopped and seemed to be taking his question seriously. Even her rocking stilled. Finally she allowed herself to tilt forward, landing the front legs with a light thump. “If both of you aren’t okay with—ah – _working_ it out alone, _don’t_ , but you need to get control of yourself.” She looked at him heavily. “You are the Baron’s Heir, yes? You’ve been trained to think with straight head no matter the situation, yes?”

“Well yes, but—” Gil sighed and took a deep breath. “No, you’re right.” He brushed a hand through his hair and straightened. Taking a deep breath he turned to Zeetha. “It’s been fun, but I have to go, I’m sure Boris is ready to strangle me for disappearing, let alone my father.”

“I _don’t_ know.” Zeetha replied slowly.

Gil gave her a dark look. “Are you saying I can’t leave?”

Zeetha glanced away, “Well…”

“I’m going!” Gil demanded, turning from her and heading to the door. “I have things that need to be dealt with.”

“Like that?” Zeetha asked sweetly. Gil paused at her tone, and looked suspiciously back at her. With a smile she pointed to the floor, her gaze notably above his head. He glanced down—and then immediately dashed towards the bed for a blanket in a panic.

“You could have mentioned that!” He yelped as he pulled the blanket up, nearly tripping as his foot had been standing on the edge.

“Did,” Zeetha grinned, leaning back in her chair, closing her eyes.

“Sooner!” Gil caught the amused look on her face and scowled. “Where are my clothes?”

Zeetha shrugged not bothering to hide the grin on her face and glanced back at him. At least she had been keeping her eyes up, Gil thought glumly.

“I ni do— _don’t_ know, I didn’t take them, I’m no doctor.” Gil looked a mixed of relived and uncertain.

“Can you go get the doctor and ask?” He tried.  Zeetha shifted and folded her arms. He sighed.

“Look,” Gil started, holding the blanket to him like a landline. “I don’t know you. I don’t even know your _name_ —”

“Zeetha, daughter of Chump, daughter and heir of my mother, War Queen Zantabraxus of Skifander and the Dark Countries,” Zeetha offered.

Gil blinked. “Chump—no that’s not important,” he waved a hand, not noticing Zeetha’s face fall briefly. By the time he looked at her again she had hidden her disappointment. “Listen, you’re right, I need to make a choice, and right now I need to see for myself. I can’t just trust you on this, not when the stakes are so high…”

“How ‘bout trustink a Jäger,” A deep but still feminine voice from behind asked lightly as several wolf whistles saturated the air. Gil paled and then burned as he realized his back was to the door, and that his blanket was only covering his front. He jumped and attempted to cover himself more fully, tying a quick knot.

He paused in surprise as he caught a glimpse at who was filling the doorway. So much that he almost didn’t notice the three women who crowded around her with leering eyes. She stood tall, easily over two meters, and had her aquamarine hair up in a complicated chignon held in place by slim stiletto. She was dressed in voluptuous elegance that announced both her profession and her demeanor. She smiled at him, a large tooth grin that was notably familiar to Gil, who gazed from it to her sharp pointy ears. He sat down hard on the bed.

“You’re a Jäger.” He stated dully. As far as he knew, and he was pretty sure he knew quite a bit on this, there were no female Jägers in the Wulfenbach forces 1. He hadn’t known they were any female Jägers at all.  Though… now that he was thinking back, he was pretty sure one of the Jägers that had dragged him away from the battlefield had been female. His eyes drifted from her to the three that peeked around the full dress. His face went red as he caught their leering looks, but slowly he realized that though they had pointy ears and sharp teeth, they were nothing more than costume pieces. “No wait…they’re not, but the deal… are we even still in Mechanicsburg?”

Mamma laughed and walked into the room with an unexpected sensual grace that had Gil swallowing nervously. She stopped next to him and looked him over with a such a wicked smile that Gil failed to refrain from checking to make sure his makeshift kilt was still in place.

“Hyu _is_ a schmott vun,” She nodded over the other three. “Ven pipple see lots of false Jägers, dey don’t look so hard at real vuns.”

“I see.”

She smiled wickedly again, and graciously extended a hand. “Velcome to mine howze. Hy is Mamma Gkika.”

Gil automatically took the hand, and as he did so he was engulfed in a cloud of spicy perfume, that caused him to shiver in anticipation, of what he didn’t know, and wasn’t sure he wanted to know. “Charmed, Madam.”

 

Zeetha watched as Mamma smiled even wider and leaned forward even more, exposing more cleavage for Gil to gander at if he wanted a look. Gil kept his eyes on Mamma’s face. A test obviously, Zeetha thought as Mamma leaned back, pleased. One that Gil passed.

“Zo, vat ken hyu not trust?” She asked.

Gil blinked as his mind was forced back to the problem at hand. “Agatha has the Other in her head, she _said_ as much. It’s not just that I don’t trust her, it’s just… who knows what the Other is capable of, I can’t just trust someone whose allegiance is unknown and shaky to tell me she not in control, not when she was last seen working with her.”

Zeetha made a sound of disagreement. Gil glanced at her briefly and added, “Possibly unknowingly or unwillingly.” Zeetha scowled.

“She was _her_ when the music played. She was _her_ with the locket.”

“Perhaps, but how could you be sure, you don’t even know her.”

“You do?”

“Better than _you_!”

“Really, _you_ sure?”

“Enough!” Mamma snapped causing both of them to wince. She turned to Gil, her sultry smile gone. “Hy may not know vat de Odder iz capable uf, but Hy do know Lucrezia.” She told him sternly. “Hy saw no sign uf her in Miz Agatha, nor did de Seneschal after he interviewed her, or else she vould haff _neffer_ seen hyu’re show, let alone got to de Kestle.”

“She’s already at the Castle?” Gil asked. “But how—” he stopped himself, realizing from the carefully blank look on Mamma’s face that he wasn’t likely to get an answer. He looked down. The Castle was a death trap, Agatha being in there, likely by herself, was a terrifying thought, so much could happen. She could be injured by one of the many traps, or even one of the prisoners. She could be killed. Her locket could be ripped off or broken, and in that case…Lucrezia could not take control of Castle Heterodyne, he couldn’t let that happen.

He needed to go after her, to help her, to make sure.

He changed tracks and looked back up at Mamma. Gil examined her and then nodded. “Fair enough, but my Father, I’m sure he knows her even more than you do, he went to college with her, he both fought against _and_ with her, he—ah, he had an, um—”

“Affair,” Mamma suggested.

“I was _going_ to say relationship, but… yes. Let him meet with her, and if you’re right, then he’ll just confirm it and—”

“Dat’s de problem,” Mamma interrupted. “Hy don’t trust Klaus to act vithout bias. Hy don’t trust Klaus to not just do de easy ting und kill her, or put her through lots uf Schmort guy stuff dot she don’t recover from, _fer de greater good_ , uf coarze. Hy remember de affair, und ve _both_ know how he iz about Odder stuff, und how he reacted ven he furst leaned uf Miz Agatha. Ken hyu _really_ tell me hyu think he vill act rational, dot hyu are _completely_ certain.”

Gil went quiet for a long while, and then. “Well, would he be completely wrong, I mean, the Other devastated Europa, the chance of her ever getting any power again, let alone the power of the Heterodyne returning—” Gil suddenly noticed the complete and utter silence of the room and it dawned on him just what he was saying to an obviously very old and very high ranking Jäger. He swallowed and glanced up to finding Mamma glaring down at him with a look that nearly had him to his knees.

“She vill _not_ get power, she vill _not_ hyuse dose nasty bugz again, ve vill _not_ allow it.”

Gil blinked, that was not what he had been expecting. “And you have a choice?”

Mamma’s eyebrows shot up, “I’m surprised vith hyu, hyu are schupposed to be ah Schmart guy,” Mamma tisked. “Hyu _haff_ met Vole, haff hyu not.”

Gil blinked, “Yes, but what dose—oh.”

“Yes, _oh_. De Odder’s bugz, dey sqveez pipples minds to make dem obey, dey don’t giff dem a choice. But ve, _ve_ iz not compelled to serve, ve all took the Draught from de Masters hand _freely_ , ve all continue to choose to follow de Troth to dis day!”

“Except Vole.”

“Except Vole,” Mamma answered with narrowed eyes. “Ve continued to follow de Troth from luff and loyalty, und de Master haff avays deserved dat—but Lucrezia, she treated effreyvun like dey ver her servants, treated de Jagers like leedle petz, like property. Ve put op vit it becawze uf Master Bill.

“But she iz not a Heterodyne, she haz _not_ earned our luff and loyalty, she hyuzes dose nasty bugz, de Jägers vill not be forced to submit to her! _De Kestle_ vill not submit to de likes uf her, I ken tell hyu _dat.”_

Mamma glared down at Gil her lips parsed, “But she fightz, zo ve vill keep her safe until she ken get her Mamma outz uf her head, or at least until she ken _try_ to.”

Gil eyed her without flinching. “And how is she going to do _that?”_

“Hyuse are goink to giff her time,” Mamma stated plainly. “Becawz Klaus won’t und de only ting dat ken stop a Wulfenbach is anodder Wulfenbach.”

“I will not fight my father.” Gil replied equally as plainly though Zeetha could see an odd tension in his shoulders. Fear? Uncertainty? Conviction? She wasn’t sure. It did tell her what she needed to know though. He had every right to stick to his father, she wouldn’t deny him that, but now she had a grasp on loyalties, and she would have to keep them in mind.

“Goot.” Mamma answered.  “Becawze he’s got a whole bunch uf army und hyu got nottink. My hope iz dot hyu can out-tink him.”

Gil started slightly at her words. “Out-think my father.” He went a little pale.

“Oddervise?” Mamma shrugged, “How do Hy know, but she iz a Heterodyne, und she is a schmart vun, und dere are already planz beink made.”

“And do I get to know _these_ plans.”

“Schure, after Hy check hyu up.”

“What?”

Mamma than turned her attention to her. “How’z he been?”

Zeetha blinked, and then shrugged. “Noisy, Suspicious, Cranky,” She offered.

Mamma waved her hand, “Dot means nottink, he iz Klaus boy.”

Zeetha absorbed this new knowledge on the Baron, and then nodded. She tilted her head to Gil who was watching, displeased to be being talked about as if he wasn’t there. “He wants clothes. He wants to leave.”

“Hmpth, dat vill be my decision.” She turned back to Gil who looked as he wanted to protest, but could only squeak as Mamma reached for the covers. “Lets see how hyu iz doink now.”

“Madam! Please!” He squawked as he edged backwards on the bed.

“Don’t be an eddiot, keedo. Hy needs to see dose vounds, and de gorls haf seen better, hy’m sure.”

The three glanced at each other and then the shortest one pipped up, “Not many, I’ll give him that.”

Gil sighed, but let Mamma do her work. Zeetha leaned back on her chair and glanced away to give him some privacy. As funny as him walking around unknowingly naked had been, she knew what it was like to have people try and gander at you without your permission. In fact, Zeetha gave a warning glance at the three faux-Jäger girls as they attempted to take another peek. They caught it, and backed off, but not happily.

“What the devil is that?” Gil suddenly exclaimed. Startled Zeetha glanced back over with raised eyebrows.

“Iz a leedle monitor patch vun of de Masters kobbled togedder avile ago,” Mamma replied, the expression on her face a mixture of surprise and suspicion. “Und accordink to dis, hyu iz hokay.” She glanced up at Gil, but Zeetha could see enough of her face to recognize the steel beneath the fancy dress and extensive hairstyle. “If Hy had to guess, hy’d say dat hyu poppa has deduced a few more uf de Jägerkin secrets den he lets on. Dis leedle ting iz ready to kome out.”

“Come out?” Gil asked. “How deep is that? It’s right over the _profunde femoris_ artery. You can’t just rip it—yaAAHAA!”

As Gil yelped in pain Mamma took the chance to send a slightly suspicious look Zeetha’s way, along with a small sniff. Zeetha froze. Her hand twitched towards her neck but she stopped it. Klaus certainly couldn’t have dosed her in Jäger secrets; he had last known her as a nameless little babe, if he had ever known her at all, long before he would have had access… right. Zeetha glanced away in thought.

“Ho, don’t be soch a beeg baby. A leedle pain iz goot for hyu.” Mamma replied with a frown. Behind the racket of their arguing there was a light knock on the door. The three faux-Jäger girls glanced at each other, but Zeetha recognized the pattern and pulled her thoughts free and herself to her feet to go get it.

“Pain? I’m probably bleeding to death—!”

Zeetha pulled the door open and Tarvek peeked in. “Is everything okay? I heard yelling—?”

“YOU!” Gil yelped with a point at the startled Tarvek. Zeetha shrugged, ignoring him, and stepped out of the way as Gil stomped over and shoved his face into Tarvek’s, who forced himself to not take a step back. “This all your fault!”

“My fault?” Tarvek shouted back, confused terror being replaces with bewildered defensiveness.

“Yes! Stumhulten, _everything_ , It’s! All ! Your! Fault!” With each word he rather painfully poked Tarvek in the chest, purposely aiming towards a nerve cluster.

“Oh yes, the Other war was my fault,” Tarvek hissed back, giving Gil a bit of a shove to get him out of his space. “I was a mastermind of a three year old, the world never saw it coming.”

“Oh righty den,” Mamma tried. “Hov ‘bout ve all kalm—”

Violetta snatched at the back of Tarvek’s cloak, nearly flipping him over her shoulder, and causing Gil’s retaliating punch to only just fly harmlessly over his head. Tarvek went white, the three faux-Jäger girls gasped in surprise, even Gil seemed confused where he stood, his arm still extended.

Mamma griped Gil’s shoulder tight enough that her nails pricked into his shoulder as she pulled him back a bit. “Az Hy _said_ , letz all kalm dovn before sumvun dose sumting _schpid_.”

“…Yeah, yeah okay…What was that?” Gil replied.

“Hyu came in here all sliced op. Ve had to gif hyu sum Battledraught. It fixed hyu op goot, but it ken haff… schide effects ven giffen to normal pipples.”

“And sudden… violence is one of those side effects?”

“Wouldn’t call it a side effect,” Tarvek grumbled quietly from the doorway. Violetta elbowed him hard in the side.

“Ken be,” Mamma shrugged. “All kindz uf stuff ken happen, hyu took to it vell, sum pipples just haff der brain melt out.” She gave him a knowing look.

Gil frowned and the shook his head.  “Alright, warning heard, but what is HE doing here?” Gil asked with a mild bite of hostility and a point towards Tarvek.

Mamma shrugged. “He kame vith Miz Agatha, he iz half prisoner, half lab assistant, ve dought de best place to keep him safe and harmless vould be down here until she’s done in de Kestle.”

Tarvek opened his mouth, paused, thought some, and then closed it with a shrug. “You know what, I’m okay with that.”

Violetta snorted quietly. “Considering what I know about your minion fantasy, I’m not surprised.” Tarvek elbowed her subtly in the side. Zeetha glanced over and couldn’t help but let out a low, and mocking hum. He gave her a dry look.

“No.” he said flatly.

“Lab assistant,” Gil looked conflicted between being amused by the idea, and annoyed with it. “What could _you_ do?”

Tarvek looked affronted. “Me? Other than being the person who knows the most about wasps that _isn’t_ on Lucrezia’s side?”

“Really?” Gil asked dubiously.

Tarvek shook Violetta’s arm off, and pushed up his spectacles. His lips were puckered in a tight frown. “Yes, really,” He said hotly. “What is it that has you so conflicted in believing me? That I’m not Lucrezia’s man—”

“The evidence dose support—”

“Evidence? What evidence? That I’m part of the Sturmvoraus family? Is that seriously all that you’re basing your hypothesis on?”

“You were there as everything was happening!” Gil shot back his hackles obliviously rising again. Mamma sighed, Violetta looked as if she was moments from pulling Tarvek from the room, the three girls backed out into the hallway, not wanting to miss the show, but not wanting to be part of it either. Zeetha leaned against the wall and decided that she refused to play babysitter. If they wanted to kill each other, fine, whatever.

“Yes! Helping Agatha! Or did you decided to ignore the message she sent out.”

“You could have added that in yourself for all I know!”

Tarvek took a step back, taking the accusation hard. He almost said something he would have regretted, but he swallowed it last minute and turned slightly away to clumsily clean off his glasses.

“Do you really think I had any power over there,” Tarvek said dryly after a moment, his even voice surprising Gil from his rage. “I’m the figurehead you hopeless cad, the one that the Order wants to use to get power for themselves. So why would they grant me any of my own.”

He turned back at Gil and looked him evenly in the eye. “Do you really think I want the _Other_ to take control, to devastate Europa, really.” He gestured with his hands. “How would that be helpful?”

“But with this,” he said pulling out his notebook, and flicking through it for no reason other than dramatic effect. Zeetha rolled her eyes. “We may have a chance. With Agatha’s help I believe I’m on the right track on making a cure.”

 “A cure?” Gil asked unavoidably intrigued despite himself. “How?”

“Well… I don’t have it yet, but given a little more time, and a place to study I’ll be able to expand upon my vaccination—”

“Vaccination? You have a vaccination! For the Wasps?”

“Well… it’s untested so far but theoretically it’s sound—”

“Eh, details. Let me see.” Gil reached out and attempted to snatch the journal, but Tarvek easily stepped aside.

“Really you—hey!” Gil wasn’t listening and simply threw an arm around Tarvek’s shoulder so he could peek into it. Tarvek let out a frustrated sigh

“Is this some kind of code?” Gil asked after a second, his brows furrowed. “If so it’s actually kind of difficult. Ni Djorok dok—I don’t know what any of that means.”

Zeetha hid a smile by looking away. It meant nothing, nothing that made any sense at any rate.

Tarvek rolled his eyes, “That’s not it, I had to repurpose a journal, here,” He shrugged off Gil’s arm and skipped ahead a good bit. “There that’s where my notes start, but even if you could understand it, it would require some advanced understanding of how Wasps would work—”

Violetta warily backed away until she was standing near Zeetha. The two girls watched the boys.

Violetta glanced at Zeetha, “Did they… really just go from fighting to science that fast?”

Zeetha nodded yes. Violetta glanced back and quirked an eyebrow.

“Do you think either of them noticed Gil’s sheet shift?”

Zeetha shook her head no.

Gil, not really paying attention to Tarvek’s complaints, poked a finger onto the page. “Interesting, why did you mix all the ingredients before heating them? Heated Silver of Vixonite has an even greater increased chance of catastrophic brain deliquesce than it does unheated.”

“Yes, but I needed it to focus the effects of the vaccination onto the brain as much as possible, so I added some Calixia oil here to counter it’s effects,” He pointed to another part of the page. “Though based on clinical studies a greater dose of both may be more effective, but neither Zeetha nor I perished from catastrophic brain deliquesce.”

Gil stared at Tarvek for a second, and then over at Zeetha who looked slightly more concerned the longer they were talking. She noticed him looking and gave half a wave before pointing down. Both Gil and Tarvek followed her finger and then jumped apart with a squawk. Gil hurriedly pulled the sheet back in place. Both of them were bright red.

“You could have told me sooner!” he yelled.

Zeetha shrugged. “It just happened.”

“Zeetha!” Tarvek squawked. Zeetha glanced over at him with an amused grin. He huffed and turned away in an attempt to compose himself.

“Can I have my clothes back, _please_?” Gil demanded.

“Ov cawze,” Mamma replied lightly as the three faux-Jägergirls sighed. “De vuns hyu vere veering got all shredded op, so Hy vill haff de boyz gets hyu sum new vuns.” She glanced knowingly at the door, and after a moment of frantic whispering, Maxim stumbled into view. He smiled weakly.

“Hyu kalled?”

“Go gets de boy sum clothes from de prop room,” She ordered with a roll of her eyes. “Und be snappy vith it.”

“Hokay,” Maxim replied looking relived. He gave a thumbs up to Gil who looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him right there, Empire be damned. “Don’t vorry Hy gots de best schtyle, Hy gets hyu sumting goot.” He turned and left.

“What did I do to deserve _that?”_

Mamma snorted. “In my defense,” She started. “He probably doz haf de best schtyle schense uf all my boyz.”

Gil made a face but turned back to Tarvek as if hoping the entire situation would just disappear. Tarvek was actually looking at him sympathetically, which upon noticing Zeetha could see Gil’s mixed look of surprise and discomfort. Odd. She knew they had a history, and were rivals if not straight up enemies, but she was beginning to think she was missing something.

“We should get this to Dr. Sun right away.” Gil said the journal somehow in his hands.

Tarvek choked, his empty hands flexing “But—it’s not finished yet, I haven’t gotten a chance to test it properly—”

Gil waved a hand. “No problem, Dr. Sun has loads of people we can test it on, and labs, and he himself has an interest in vaccinations, his input would be incredibly valuable.” He continued to read. “Hmm, this is interesting.”

“Give that back,” Tarvek snapped, pulling the journal back from Gil. “How are you even reading it so easily? It’s encrypted?”

“It’s not _that_ hard, it’s not all that different from the one we used to use as kids,” Gil pointed out. Tarvek blinked in shock, as if he hadn’t realized that himself. Gil took the chance to grab it back and continue reading.

Gil read on for a moment longer but then paused, and looked up with his eyebrows furrowed.

“You haven’t properly tested it yet—” he started slowly.

Tarvek winced. “…No.”

“But you used it on yourself…” Gil continued. “Why did you use it on yourself? I mean, other than it being completely against Professor Biohazar’s lab safety tips to do first tests on yourself, you’re a _Spark_?”

Tarvek made a face and shifted uncomfortable. “The Order, in Passholdt, had a man named Gottmurg Snarlantz, he was charged with keeping safe the majority of the Other’s Wasp Engines. He was also a Spark, and well… he decided he wanted to ‘improve’ the Wasp.”

Gil narrowed his eyes. “Passholdt, yes I’ve heard the reports from there, so that’s what happened, but how—”

“He created a huge mess,” Tarvek started uncomfortably, his hands twitching as if he wanted to grab his spectacles. “But… he did succeed on one account… he made a prototype of a… Spark Wasp.”

Gil’s eyes widened.

“So that’s why I used it on myself. There was no time to wait for proper tests. I had already proven untrustworthy to Lucrezia. I was first in line to be used as a lab mimmoth.”

“Are you saying it’s still out there?” Gil asked in concern.

“I’m saying we other priorities right now,” Tarvek deflected. Zeetha snapped her gaze onto him but seeing the subtle pleading look on his face she kept her tongue. They needed Tarvek alive right now, and she was a little concerned about the side effects Mamma mentioned. That maybe something could end up permanent if he wasn’t careful and calm. Agatha would be upset if that happened, and making him rage right now would not be good for anyone. They could wait until he heard everything he needed to first at the very least. The last thing they needed was a misunderstanding.

“We need to get the Other out of Agatha’s head and I think I can do that with a little more study and time,” Tarvek continued before Gil could. “So as much as I hate to admit it we need your help, you need to make us that time. It’s the only way to save Agatha.”

That seemed to snap Gil away from whatever he had been thinking. He pursed his lips

“You are going to save Agatha,” Gil responded dryly and with narrowed eyes.

Tarvek didn’t take the bait. “Yes.” He declared simply and forcefully.

“But why?” Gil asked throwing his arms up in the air. “You are the enemy!”

“Enemy—I take it you haven’t learned to comprehend simple words—I’m _helping_ Agatha.”

“Helping, oh please,” Gil snorted. “Like this isn’t one of your stupid plots. Well I’m not going to let Agatha fall for it, you manipulative—”

Tarvek scowled as most of his composer drained right out. “Oh, your not are you, you insufferable lout. Why should I let her anywhere near you with your heartless games?”

Gil face twisted and he shoved Tarvek, “As if _she_ would _trust you_.”

“Of course not, she’s _smart_ , but guess what” Tarvek retorted, shoving him back. “She doesn’t trust _you_ either.”

“Oh righty den,” Mamma tried steeping beside them. “Hov ‘bout ve  Kalm—”

But Gil wasn’t listening, and he let out a roar of fury and flung a speeding strike straight toward an astonished Tarvek. It missed by less of a hair’s length as Violetta showed up out of nowhere and body checked Tarvek to the ground out in the hall. Thankfully, being shorter, the punch swung straight over her head.

Mamma glanced up at the ceiling as if looking for strength. Meanwhile Zeetha snatched at one of Gil’s arms as he recovered his balance and seemed content in chasing after Tarvek, and now Violetta. He turned his attention to her in a feral roar, and with a surprising flex of his arm, Zeetha lost her grip and went flying, bouncing once on the bed and then onto the floor.

Gil turned back to where Violetta was attempting and failing to get a groaning Tarvek to his feet. He scowled and made another attempt in beating Tarvek to a pulp, only to be stopped as Mamma’s fist came out of nowhere and caught him in the side of the jaw. He flew flat into a wall, and then collapsed onto his bed.

Everyone waited. Violetta finally managed to drag Tarvek to his feet. Zeetha pulled herself into a sitting position, and after another moment of silence, poked at the hand that hung over the bed. It twitched and Gil groaned. Everyone tensed.

Finally Gil pulled himself to a kneeling position and rubbed at his jaw, in which he was surprised to find unbroken. He looked confused and concerned. “What happened to me?”

Mamma gave a snort and in a ripple was once again the relaxed chanteuse. “De Draught happened. Hy _told_ hyu dat.”

“This time, it was worse,” He replied looking a little alarmed. “I didn’t… I didn’t stop right away…”

“No, vich iz vy hyuse vill be keeping vith de _kalm_ , jah?” Mamma replied with one raised eyebrow. Then she turned so to see both boys. She gave both of them hard looks that had them wilting before her and then huffed. “Now, vill bot hyu boyz _behave_ , or vill Hy haff to lock hyu both op until Miz Agatha ken deal vith hyu.”

“I’ll behave.” Tarvek weezed.

“Yeah—” Gil added rubbing at his face. “I think I’m done.”

Mamma huffed again. “Hyu control hyu’re temper,” She told Gil blandly. “Und hyu, hyu better schtop riling him op, next time Hy vont schtop him until he beat hyu goot a few times.” She added to Tarvek, who nodded weakly.

Mamma sniffed and then looked conflicted for a moment, her eyes glancing over to Gil’s still partially filled cup, but seemed to decide against it. “Und get to de room next door, Hy ken smells dose popped stitches, Hy vill send one uff de gurls to patch hyu up.”

Tarvek didn’t complain and Violetta led him from the room.

Mamma turned back to Gil. “If hyu don’t start controllink dot temper, Hy _vill_ lock hyu op, hyu vont be able to do anytink if hyu keep snappink out like dat.

Gil pinched his nose and took a calming breath. “I can see that… So every time I get worked up I’m going to start frothing and attacking people?”

Mamma shrugged. “Hy vas not lyink. Hy told hyu, Battledraught iz brewed for Jägers. Iz not always… so goot for normal pipples. Tings ken happen. It seems dot is hyur ting, but Hy vould be karful.”

Gil frowned. “Then why risk it on me? I mean, you want me, right. To distract my father.” He closed off at that, as if just remembering that fact.

Mamma eyed him for a long moment, and then sighed, resting a hand against her hip.

“Hyu is faster den most pipple, jah? Stronger. Hyu dun sleep moch—” Zeetha latched onto that. She knew of coarse that a Spark could do all sorts of things to themselves and others, she had seen some crazy stuff to prove that, but not sleeping much, that sounded like—she shook her head, surely Sparks could easily turn down the need for sleep… right.

“Hy figure if ennybody ken take a leedle Battledraught, it vould be hyu.”

“Right.” Gil replied blandly. There was a knock on the door. “I’m getting dressed and I’m leaving. My father—”

“Iz izolated in de Hospital vith only pipple he trust?” Mamma interrupted. “Und vith de only bad guy vho kowz uf de vasp locked away by locket and Kestle? Hyu haff time to speak to a few pipples, gets informed, all uf us informed, den hyu are free to go to do vat hyu tink best.”

A roar from beyond the walls managed to make its way through the stone. Gil frowned harder at it.

“There are more Jägers here.” He stated.

Mamma frowned too. “Sum.”

“…fine.” Gil relented. “But I’m getting dressed _now_.”

 

Zeetha glanced back at Gil, and then followed Mamma out of the room, leaving the returned Jägers to help him get dressed. She was surprised to find Mamma waiting for her outside. “Hyu vanted to ask me sumtink?” she asked.

Zeetha blinked, unnerved by Mamma’s prediction. “Why—”

“Did Hy giff hyu Battledraught?”

Zeetha paused and then nodded.

Mamma glanced over her with a serious look. “Dimo told me a leetle about hyu. Hyu are tranink Miz Agatha, hyu fought off de Baron to protect her, und hyu ‘ave been through a lot, _dat_ iz obvious.”

Mamma didn’t look towards her neck, but Zeetha didn’t need her to.

Mamma crossed her arms. “Miz Agatha is resourceful, but she doze not really know vat to do in a fight. She iz goink to need sumvun vho can look out for her, sumvun vhough isn’t a Spark, vho can think straight vhen she isn’t. Hyu couldn’t do dat vith dat neck uf hyu’ze.”

She gave her a stern look. “It _vas_ a risk, but hyu are not de first normal person vho haff taken Battledraught und lived, not _klose_ , und vhat Hy haff seen, hyu are a tuff one.” She paused to open a door and Zeetha was blasted with the sound of music and chatter.

The room before her was vast, with a high vaulted ceiling that only stayed aloft do to the thick pillars that rose up amongst the tables. Not far from their doorway was an extensive bar, staffed by several barmaids who were constantly busy, rushing back and forth. Behind them was probably a wall, but Zeetha couldn’t be sure as giant casks, each in which could easily hold the yearly output of a small brewery, hid it from view.

On the other side of the room was a small stage. Gaslamps hissed along its front, and it had been draped in blood-red curtains that held the symbol of the Jagerkin: a demonic, grinning skull. A good ten wooden benches were positioned right in front of the stage, each easily able to seat fifty Jägers comfortably. And behind them were multiple similarly sized wooden tables that filled the rest of the center of the room.

Along the sides of the walls were a scattering of private tables and booths. The walls, and in fact any vertical space at all, was completely covered in weapons, armor, and what only could be some kind of strange Sparky tech, amongst which, scattered evenly if half-hazardly, were all sorts of skulls and stuffed heads of all kinds of monsters: trophies, from years upon years of various conquests and battles.

And stuffed from one wall to another were Jägers, some with Wulfenbach emblems on their clothes and hats, others with the Heterodyne’s mark. Some seemingly fine, joking with their neighbors who could be missing: arms, legs, or in some cases both. All of them joking, and laughing, and making more noise than Zeetha had heard since the last Bilu Litik Nikias2 she had attended in Skifander.

Her heart panged.

 Mamma continued. “Ve need to keep de Baron buzy until Miz Agatha ken fix de Kestle. Hy stand by vhat Hy said, to fight a Wulfenbach, ve are goink to need anodder Wulfenbach—” She paused a lengthy pause. Zeetha glanced over and was unnerved to find her staring at her. “Or… perhaps… two.”

Zeetha didn’t react, just stared back. If Mamma asked, she would answer, but she didn’t feel confident in stating her suspicions out loud. She wasn’t sure, and she felt like that would jinx them.

Mamma wasn’t looking for an answer apparently, or perhaps somehow she had given one anyway, since she smiled a toothy smile, touched her nose with one of her daintily painted claws, and then looked away.

“De kat iz with de young Von Mekkhan,” She informed her with a wave in their direction. “Hy vill send de boys out ven dey are done, feel free to eat.”

Zeetha grimaced. “I have no money.”

Mamma waved her hand, “Iz on de howze, just be ready to help de young Wulfenbach vhen he iz done, jah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, there we go, the devil chapter is out of my hands and in the open. This chapter was definitely the hardest for me to write, partly because I'm not super comfortable writing Gil, Gil and Tarvek interactions, and for other reasons I won't get into. It even stalled work on this story for months before I finally bit the bullet and started writing later chapters leaving it just an outline. Thankfully I've figured it out to some regard, and while I'll probably never be fully happy with it one has to let go of their perfectionist streak and let their work go eventually, no story is ever going to be perfect and you get nowhere working endlessly on one little thing. A hard lesson I'm still struggling with.
> 
> Footnotes:  
> 1\. Female Jägers were a rarity because most of the Heterodyne of Old staffed their armies with only men. So for a female Jäger to be made, she would have to have spent years disguised as a man in the army unnoticed by her comrades, get the attention of the Heterodyne, agree to take the draught, and survive. Mamma was the first, and Vlad was so amused and impressed by her ability, he declared that any female who managed to hide her gender up until she became a Jäger would go unpunished. Something the Heterodynes have continued to follow to this day. Though as time went by how well a female had to hide dropped in standards until a few generations back someone realized it was dumb and made the army co-ed.  
> That said, because of the years of hiding they had to partake in, most female Jägers tend to be much more subtle and sneaky than most of their male counterparts. Because of this they were all asked to and agreed to work as wild Jägers, where the sneaky and subtleness would best help.
> 
> 2\. “The festive of testing skills”: On the longest night of the year large fires are built to lead departed ancestors home. People burn a hair of theirs in the fire so the ancestors know which fire to go to. Almost everyone takes part in challenges and competitions to not only to prove themselves but also show how far they have grown since last year. There is also a whole lot of eating, singing and dancing.


	11. In Which Zeetha Meets The Airman.

Zeetha leaned against the bar as she waited for her drink and Jäger-sized (and side-effect free she was assured) Turkey leg to arrive. She surveyed the meal hall before her, and felt another pain as she did so. It was nothing like the War Palace’s meal hall back in Skifander: not the seating, nor the decor, nor the language, but something about the cheerful and boasting atmosphere reminded her of it all the same.

It would be interesting to introduce Jägers to Skifandrians, or at least to some of her family _,_ Zeetha thought as she retrieved her drink and turkey leg, which nearly dwarfed her head, from the barmaid with thanks. Entertaining for sure, and also possibly disastrous and a horrible idea. Zeetha shook her head with a smile.

Glancing out back at the crowd, Zeetha scouted out the table where Krosp and Vanamonde were waiting. It was easy to tell as the chaos that saturated the bar was just a slight bit dimmer there, unlike anywhere else—wait.

Noting another, even more peaceful, section of the bar, Zeetha stood on her toes to try and get a glance while the Jägers roared in excitement. The three girls from before had entered the stage. It was difficult to see past the enormous variety of hats, flailing arms, and the occasionally thrown Jäger, but she would swear that the small section of peace was inhibited by only one person, who didn’t seem to have a strange skin or hair color, or an extra eye or horns growing from his chin. Odd—

“HEY! NIZE HAT!”

Zeetha jumped in surprise as, impressively, some Jäger manages to be even louder than the incredible drone that echoed through the hall. She glanced behind her, to find not far away, a very… well ornate honestly. Impressive for sure, but _definitely_ ornate, hat slowly making its way through the sea of Jägers. It had spikes and gilded wings, meters of gold lace and frogging. It had a small cheerful flame sprouting from a chemical burner at the top, and it had large gold letters that proclaimed that the wearer was, _“Gilgamesh Wulfenbach: Schmot guy!!”_

Zeetha snorted on her beer and grimaced harshly as alcohol dashed up her nose. Shaking her head she dashed after him, using the Jägers standing ovation to get closer faster, because she could just tell by the way he was walking that he was about to go all smart guy on the bar. Agatha probably wouldn’t like that, nor Mamma for that matter.

She approached from behind just as they reached Vanamonde’s table. Dimo, still beaming in reflected glory gave a wave and disappeared back into the crowd, probably to tell the Jägers all about Gil and his fancy hat.

Tarvek, who had been following with Violetta, on the other hand, to her surprise, didn’t seem the slight bit amused. In fact he almost looked ill. She walked over to him and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Sitting her mug on the tall baking of the booth Vanamonde had chosen, she waved a particular hand sign at Tarvek: _Because of_ , “Fashion disaster?” She asked as she then pointed at the steaming Gil.

Tarvek made a face. “Well yes, but that’s to be expected, Jägers did dress him after all.” He shook his head. “Really though… _they gave him a hat.”_

Zeetha stared at him, and then back to the hat that had been deposited on the table, and then back at him. With a dull look she signed her next question. _You want one?_

Tarvek glanced back at the hat and looked ill, “No, of course not, it goes completely against my coloring, but…” he sighed. “The J _ägers_ gave _him_ a _hat_ , that’s a _big deal_ to them, and Agatha is already _close_ to a bunch.”

Zeetha sighed as she caught on to what Tarvek was thinking.

“Shared research and now this,” Tarvek grumbled before slumping slightly. “And apparently interaction that wasn’t just being kidnapped and then frantic escape.”

“You did put her in more danger,” Zeetha pointed out piteously. She thought for a second back to Agatha’s story and then added. “Knowingly.”

Tarvek scowled even though he agreed. “At least I tried to get her out; from what Agatha told us, Gil turned it into a _game_.”

Zeetha gave a half-shrug in agreement. _Both idiots,_ she signed. “Both have lot to answer for,” She added verbally.

Tarvek grimaced but didn’t say anything more.

“So you’re this seneschal I’ve been hearing about,” Gil asked with examining eye. “I’d thought you would be older.”

“They were probably talking about my grandfather, Carson von Mekkhan,” Vanamonde replied with a polite grin, he extended a hand to shake. “I am Vanamonde von Mekkhan, the seneschal of Castle Heterodyne, though my grandfather often forgets he’s retired.”

Gil shook his hand, but his eyes narrowed. “So those papers my father got, on the seneschal’s death, they were fake?”

Vanamonde frowned. “Misleading perhaps, my father _did_ die that night, and he had been the seneschal at the time.” He glanced away. “And I suppose paperwork had been piling up, as my siblings and I hadn’t been recorded quite yet, but your _father_ was the one to declare our family line dead.”

Gil raised an eyebrow, “Not bad.”

Vanamonde looked at him with innocent eyes. “I don’t have the slightest clue as to what you mean.”

Gil snorted. He glanced over to Vanamonde’s companion. Of all things it was a cat, with thick long white fur, a red coat that would make any story tale prince envious, and a sneer that just dripped hostility.

“And you are?” He asked after a moment of staring.

“Krosp the first,” He hissed, before pouncing up on the table, striding across it on his hind legs, and sticking a long claw into Gil’s face. “And Agatha’s king,” He snarled. “And listen here, I want to make this absolutely clear, I don’t trust you. I don’t like you. I think you’re out to use Agatha as a pawn to take out your _father_. Well I’m on to you pal, and your cutting into my territory!”

Vanamonde sighed as Zeetha reached over and attempted to drag Krosp away from the bewildered Gil. He dodged with a hiss and pounced backwards. “Now that’s over, perhaps we can get down to business.” Vanamonde poured himself a new cup of coffee.  “Your father, he’s been busy. I would like to know just what he’s been doing?”

“My Father?” Gil smiled a wan smile as he leaned back into the booth. “While I’m sure on a cellular level he’s quiet busy, I assure you he won’t be doing much of anything for a while.”

Krosp snorted. “Anyone else I would call disingenuous, but from you I’ll accept stupid.”

Van smile became pinched. “Krosp, please…”

Krosp slammed a paw down on a bunch of, formally, nicely stacked papers. “For starters, he’s been giving a bunch of really weird orders.”

Gil froze, and then scooped up the papers, skimming through them at an alarming rate. “These are…where did you get these?”

Vanamonde waved a hand. “Please. People give orders, other people write them down, people carry them from place to place, others must execute them… but that’s unimportant. What is it that he’s exactly doing?”

“He’s probably administering the Empire. I assume most of these orders were sent out by Boris, under my father’s seal. He’s severely injured! Bedridden! In my medical opinion, he won’t be up for weeks.”

“Giving orders and bedrest hardly contradict each other,” Vanamonde said, and then took a sip. “Your right, it _was_ rather quiet up until about an hour and a half ago, when a fury of orders emerged. All sources point to their point of origin being the Hospital, while Gospodin Dolokhov is, to our knowledge, still aboard Castle Wulfenbach which is not scheduled to arrive until, at earliest ten o’clock.”

Gil stared at him, and then looked down at the papers, slightly more serious. “Well, you are certainty well informed. But in all honestly, considering the timing, it’s quite possible that my father just woke up and was bored—” He paused as he began to read a little more thoroughly, Vanamonde took it as time to speak.

“Perhaps, but while relatively innocent, you got to admit some of his actions since the War Clanks defeat have been strange. First he had a manhunt for anyone who had knowledge on a green haired servant from Stumhulten—” Everyone turned to look at Zeetha, who notably glanced away. “Do you perhaps have any idea on why?”

Zeetha paused, gnawed on her lip, and then shrugged.

Vanamonde stared at her evenly for a moment, and then nodded. He turned back to Gil and continued.

“And now this, most of it makes sense: road crews, paymasters, fire fighters, extra troops, quartermasters, emergency communication systems, and what not; all to be expected. It’s the fact that they were all ordered so suddenly, and the fact that similar orders are being overwritten by these, people are being swapped out for new ones. What I want to know is _why?_ ”

Gil’s eyes furrowed. That was a good point. He had already ordered the movement of such crews to Mechanicsburg. What was his father doing? Part of him sulked at the idea even on this his father was finding fault in his abilities, but then he paused.

He shuffled back a few sheets. His gaze sharpened, he checked for a few names—

He looked up at Vanamonde, his face was aghast. “He’s going to destroy Castle Heterodyne,” he whispered.

Tarvek and Zeetha went white and glanced at each other in horror.

“How?” Krosp asked with professional interest. “This town is legendary for never being conquered.”

Vanamonde looked worried. “Yes, the old Heterodynes chose this spot for a reason.”

Gil slapped the papers back onto the table. “Sure if the defenses were working, an army couldn’t even get up the pass.” He leaned in. “But they aren’t, and my father is already here, he could walk the needed machines right up to the Castle.”

He pulled a paper from the stack. “Rumbletoys, now used as earth movers, but their subsonic wave throwers can liquefy the rock the Castle sits on.” Another paper. “The Ninth AEtheric Vapor Squad, firefighter now, but with a little work they can spray liquid nitrogen onto the Castle and crack the stone work with a hammer.” Another. “The Helioux Airship fleets mirrors and lens arrays work for long distance communication, but they could also melt this town off the map if we order it.”

He picked up the entire stack of paper and set it right in front of Vanamonde. “And that’s just three pages, my father will have many more things coming, just take a look.”

Zeetha leaned over the booths back and Gil’s head to stare at the sheer size of the papers in front of Vanamonde. “All this, for Agatha?”

Gil snorted. “No, all this for Agatha, and much more, if you look at the timestamps, that’s just ten minutes worth of orders, my father will bring that, and everything else within a couple of hundred kilometers to take down the Other.” Everyone turned to him and stared. Gil shrugged. “He believes he has cause.”

He paused, and then leaned forward. “And let’s be fair, he _does_.”

Vanamonde grabbed a couple of papers to see for himself, and even Tarvek snuck over and grabbed a few. “This is not… perfect.” Vanamonde finally finished slowly.

“At this point the best thing you can do is have Agatha surrender peacefully, and then he won’t feel the need to attack,” Gil told him. He hesitated. “If she surrenders to me, I can… work to make sure my father doesn’t… over react to much. We _can_ figure this out.”

Vanamonde looked up at Gil. His eyes were wide with panic, though he was making a remarkable show at keeping it contained. “Even if she would, and you could, the Lady has already entered the Castle and is beyond reach of communication.”

Gil leaned back, he looked troubled for a second but then he pushed it away. “So we send someone in after her, to give her the option, certainly, if she _is_ Agatha, the danger to her Castle and town will make her see reason.” He glanced back down at the papers scattered across the table. “We have until morning anyway for anything substantial to arrive. The Helioux fleet will be here earlier, but they need sun…”

Zeetha passed a searching glance over Gil, his words and stony face caused a tingle to go down her back. She frowned.

That’s when Tarvek let out a string of curses that were so foul they had Jägers in nearby tables pausing in their tomfoolery to clap in approval. Everyone at the table turned to stare at him. Violetta looked as if she thought she had entered some kind of parallel dimension. Gil faintly remembered Dupree saying something similar back in Paris.

“What is this?” He yelped and shoved the paper he had been reading into Gil’s face. Gil snatched it from his shaking hands, and read it. The fear that had hit him at Tarvek’s frantic expression morphed into confusion.

“Princess Anevka, due to changes in wind currents, has been re-routed to the Great Hospital to be guarded until Castle Wulfenbach arrives. She is expected to arrive at the Great Hospital at 9:45 – Just what is bothering you here, yes, your sister was captured, did you really not expect—”

Gil looked up at the white and fearful faces of everyone else, and scowled. “What am I missing _now?”_

“My sister—isn’t my sister,” Tarvek said slowly, carefully. “Back in Stumhulten Lucrezia had me make her a clank head and—”

“There are two of them?” Gil’s eyes narrowed. “And you didn’t think to tell me this _sooner_?”

Tarvek winced. “That’s not all, Lucrezia got ahold of a recording of—OW,” He yelped, hopping away on one foot and sending Zeetha a death glare. “FINE, yes we took a recording of Agatha’s voice in hope of turning it into a weapon to use against the Geisterdamen army living under our house that hated our very being, but that’s _not_ what’s important right now.”

He turned to stare right at Gil, his face deadly serious. “The body Lucrezia took over has a working copy of Agatha’s voice; she _can_ use it against your father.”

It was silent for a second; even the sound of the Jägers seemed to have faded away. Then Gil asked very slowly, “what do you _mean_ use it against my _father?_ ”

“There was a moment where Lucrezia and your father were face to face,” Tarvek answered weakly, pulling the husk from his pocket, opening it to show it was empty. “And… all signs point that he was wasped—at some point before Agatha got the locket back and took control…”

Zeetha expected a rage. A fury. Instead Gil sat, his hands clenched, his teeth gritted, shaking a little as if fighting an internal battle. Maybe he was.

Taking the moment of silence to butt in, Vanamonde pulled out a pocket watch and checked the time. “It’s almost 8: 00 now—” he told them all before paling. “Oh dear,” he muttered. Zeetha gave him a strange look.

Gil was still for a long moment more, and then he burst up from his chair. “Is there _anything_ you haven’t done to make this situation ten times worse,” He hissed as he passed Tarvek, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him along with him. The rest scurried to keep up. Vanamonde looked relived. Zeetha was just glad it didn’t look like he was going to go into a frenzy. In fact he seemed deadly calm, striding through the Jägers in such a way they actually parted a bit to let him through.

Tarvek stuttered. He didn’t seem to know what to say.

“She doesn’t know,” Zeetha offered. Gil paused in his step and looked at her.

“What?”

“That Lucrezia doesn’t know the Baron is wasped.”

A little tension left Gil’s shoulders, but he continued on his slow path to the door.

“First good news I’ve heard all day,” He muttered.

Then suddenly their progress was halted. A strange mood fell over the crowd, the Jägers stopped parting to let them through, and all turned to look up at the stage. The group turned to look as well, and found that Mamma stood above them, a dainty whistle in her hand. Vanamonde cursed. All around them servers were quickly scooping up plates, some of them still full, and dumping them into narrow, three-wheeled carts before heading out of the room as quickly as they could.

Mamma waved her hands as Vanamonde pushed past Gil and Tarvek, his presence just enough to slowly convince the Jägers in front of him to move, though their attention was still on the stage.

“Hokay lads, leesen op! Efferbody knowz dot dere’s beeg tings afoots, jah? Ve gunna haff to get back to vork.”

The Jägers guffawed and Mamma smiled. “Bot not yet. SO iz time for heveryboddy to blow ov sum schteam, hey? On de Vistle!”

Vanamonde somehow managed to increase his pace through the crowd.

“What’s going on?” Gil asked his grip still tight on Tarvek who was getting more and more nervous the more he read the anticipation off the nearby Jägers faces.

Mamma raised the whistle to her lips, and let out one, long, clear, note.

Vanamonde filched. “It’s the evening bar fight.”

Chaos erupted from all sides. Jägers howled and leapt from their seats, swinging, clawing, and smacking Jägers that they had been laughing with just seconds before. A tankard flew into their little crowd and smacked into Violetta’s head. Who in fact looked as if she wished she could join Krosp in clinging to the top of Gil, or better yet the rafters, but unfortunately years of bodyguard training kept her at Tarvek’s side.

Zeetha at the back ducked as a giggling Jäger flew overhead. Beside her a Jäger dodged another’s attack. The attacking Jager was to slow to react and instead overshot and grazed her in the arm. In an almost subconscious response she punched him back. He blinked and then grinned at her with a toothy grin. Zeetha’s stomach dropped at the look of that grin, and she turned to keep moving only to find that she was surrounded by Jägers with not even the rather tall Gil or Tarvek in sight.

The Jäger she punched attempted a pounce, but she booted him away into another melee. Then a new Jäger attacked her, and she punched him back, and so on until she was trapped in a never ending loop of fighting Jägers away, and garnering more attention as a new, exciting, novelty. And worst of all, she was being pushed further, and further away from the doors and into a corner.

Any other time this would be fun, but right now, it was just frustrating.

Then, suddenly, the pressure on her back was gone. Zeetha blinked, and then positioned herself so she could get a glimpse behind her without leaving her back too exposed. She had been pushed into a small pocket of calm. At a corner table sat a slim, rawboned man. His hair was a dark blond that was twisted back into a small braid topped off with a dark red bow. His face was adorned with lovingly maintained sideburns that curled with his jaw. He had, with a rather sleepy-eyed look on his face, been quietly nursing an enormous tankard of beer, smoking his pipe, and, Zeetha realized slowly, having become rather rusty at such things, gazing appreciatively at her as she fought.

Zeetha wasn’t quite sure what to make of that. She felt of a jolt of unease, but was also honestly surprised by how minor it was.

In the small moment her attention was focused internally, Zeetha missed a strike towards her and stumbled fully into the small bit of calm. That seemed to wake up the airman whose gaze shifted from her to the crowd briefly, as if he was disappointed and had expected better of it, and then back at her, who had been about to jump back into the fray, a snarl inching across her face. He raised an eyebrow.

“Hey?” He said, snatching back her attention and snapping the sudden rage from her. She blinked, and remembering Gil’s rages and the distant memory of a burning fortress, took a quick, deep breath. The man before her twirled his pipe to the other side of his mouth and for a moment Zeetha would have sworn his glance was that of approval.

He removed his pipe. “If you want to make any headway towards the door, you’ll need more than just your fists,” he advised her.

A Jäger with large flappy ears reached from the crowd towards her, she spun and punched him with a right cross that caused him to spin twice. When he stopped he was facing a different direction and jumped forward with a laugh. “I can’t use my swords. Agatha would be mad.”

The man took a good look at her, as if evaluating her, and then nodded and took a pull of his tankard. “Of course not. No weapons. You want to keep it friendly.” He unfolded himself from his chair. “Hold on.” He then snagged the chair he’d been sitting on and threw it into the face of a Jäger who had been about to tackle Zeetha from behind.

Zeetha watched as the Jäger flew into the crowd and looked puzzled. “You said: No weapons?”

Although his eyes remained half-closed, the man looked surprised. “That wasn’t a weapon, that was a chair,” he explained.

As a young zumil Zeetha had been taught that anything could be a weapon if used right, and then was trained rather extensively on just how to use them right. Then again, if the Jägers weren’t going to mind, what was she to say no? A slow grin enveloped her face and she motioned to the man with her hands. “Then give me chair!”

The man smiled slightly and handed her one. “Aye, aye.”

Zeetha snatched the chair from the man, and swung it at the closest Jäger to her, and then the next, until she managed to make a small opening for herself. Smiling wildly, she pushed further, and began slowly making her way to the kitchen doors. The man’s eyes watched her go and he smiled. Then a small frown crossed his face, and he looked back longingly at his abandoned tankard. As he pondered, a flying Jäger broached his little calm oasis, and crashed into the table, shattering it, and his drink.

With a philosophical shrug, the man put his hands in his pockets, and slouched off after Zeetha. He walked unperturbed through the chaos, as if he was made of luck, as no matter what flew near him: tankards, plates, Jägers themselves, they always seemed to just miss.

Zeetha didn’t notice any of that. In fact she was so busy smashing Jägers out of her way that she jumped as he cleared his throat. She hadn’t realized he was following at all.

“So, uh, what brings you here?”               

Zeetha pressed her lips together and gave an extra hard smack to a Jäger that was trying to get handsy with her. She had seen clothes like the man was wearing before, back in the airship. In fact she was pretty sure her jacket, before it had been modified by the Boyz, had been just like his. As incredible as it sound, it seemed as if this man was a Wulfenbach solider.

So she just shrugged in response as her chair disintegrated as she broke it over a stout Jäger wearing a fancy picklehauble. “Just—came with some people.”

“You need to find them?”

Zeetha quirked a brow, as she fought her way over to another chair. What exactly was that supposed to mean? “Yeah? I supposed to make sure they stay out of trouble.”

The airman gave a lazy glance over the chaos surrounding them, and seemed to take that statement at face value. From somewhere he found a new chair, and handed it to her. “Smart guys?”

Zeetha considered this. They were some of the most moronic smart guys she had met, but they were smart she supposed, in the crazy way. “I guess.”

“Found ‘em. Is one of them the one with the cat on his head?”

“Probably.” She smirked. She paused. “Wait—how do you know if they are _smart?”_

“They’re not fighting a bar full of Jägers.”

Zeetha let out a snort. Then both of them realized what he had said. “Wait. What are you saying?”

The airman turned, and the look in Zeetha’s eyes caused him to break out in a cold sweat. A long dormant survival instinct awoke within him. He smiled disingenuously. “Miss, you look so extraordinarily dangerous that I wouldn’t think of implying anything I couldn’t directly observe.”

Zeetha, to her utter astonishment found herself blushing. Being used as a bodyguard or not, It had been a _long_ time since she had felt even a little dangerous, a very, _very_ long time. “Do I _really_ look dangerous?” She asked, her voice small.

“Absolutely. Now let’s get you back to your friends.”

Zeetha nodded, and then analyzed the entire exchange. She had understood all the words, but the reply had been worded strangely and—“Hey!”

But the airman had already turned and was wasting no time. Zeetha frowned as she realized though he neither pushed nor shoved, he was making a respectable clip through the brawl. Jägers seemed to melt away from him as he approached. She sped up to follow before the path closed, but her lips were parsed tight, and her eyes narrowed.

Around them, almost randomly all the Jägers nearby stopped to cheer. Zeetha blinked, but the airman in front of her used the distraction to push through the last line, and she followed. Outside the brawl, she had to hide her grin, as she realized just why they were cheering. Gil once again had his hat, rather unhappily, on his head.

The airman looked uncomfortable, and he glanced at her from the side of his eye. “Here are your friends, I’m off.”

For some reason that comment bothered her, more so since he seemed to be awkwardly waiting around for her answer. She waved an annoyed hand through the air, which even he could tell was a frustrated: _get lost, then._

“Hey, You, Wulfenbach Airman!” Gil’s stern bark caused both of them to jump, but once the shock had passed, Zeetha’s eyes narrowed on to the airman as he turned away from her.  “You’re with me.” Gil stated striding over to them, pulling the hat off his head with thinly veiled exasperation. “Here, carry this.”

The airman’s eyes narrowed as the hat was shoved into his hands. “Who…?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m Gilgamesh Wulfenbach.”

For the first time the airman’s mask of unflappability cracked. He turned to the others. “He is… He’s just sending me out for a crate of balloon juice, right?”

“I’m afraid not,” Vanamonde said.

Maxim pointed proudly, “Iz on hiz hat!”

The airman dragged his eyes down and examined the proudly written, if poorly spelled name on the front of the hat. When he looked up he appeared to have aged several years. However, he snapped to a loose approximation of “attention” and gave a salute. “Airman Third Class Axel Higgs reporting for duty, sir.”

“Welcome aboard, Mr. Higgs.” Gil paused. “Wait… Higgs, oh! You’re the one who saved my father!”

Higgs looked surprised. “Uh… could be,” he admitted warily.

Gil snatched his hand and shook it. “I want to thank you.  There’s a promotion somewhere with your name on it.” Higgs looked uncomfortable and Gil seemed to pick up on it. “Oh, well if you prefer…”

Suddenly Gil’s gaze sharpened and his hand tightened. “Wait, I heard you were seriously injured.” He stared at the man for a long second—

Dimo gave a roar of a laugh. “He shoor vas!” He punched Gil in the arm hard enough that he let go of Higgs hand to rub at it. “Jus’ like hyu vas ven ve brought hyu in here.”

Gil considered this. “I suppose, but why—?”

At that point Mamma stepped up behind them, the fight still going on behind her.  She was mostly untouched save for a single lock of hair that she pushed behind her ear. Zeetha wasn’t sure if that meant she had refrained from joining in, or was just that good. “Iz hyu folks leafink? Vell please kome again!”

She turned to Higgs, “I’m glad to see hyu iz feelink bedder, sveethot. A gurl likes to pay her debts, jah?”

Higgs shuffled his feet. “I told you that you don’t owe me anything, Ma’am,” he said with the tone of someone who had said this many times before.

Mamma tilted her head to the side. “Well, I suppose dot’s a leedle more true now den it vas yesterday.” She turned away to Gil and Higgs let out a long but mostly silent sigh. Freeing a hand he rubbed at his temples and turned away from Mamma and Gil entirely—and right towards Zeetha who was gazing at him with narrow eyes.

Most people wouldn’t have caught it, but Zeetha had spent the last three years with nothing to do but hone her people reading skills, and she would swear that he recoiled slightly before catching himself and rather successfully diverting his attention back to Gil and Mamma.

Zeetha looked away as well, it was entirely unproductive to let on that you were watching someone, she would have to be more careful in the future.

“Zo, vere are hyu ov to now vith my— _guests_?” Mamma asked Gil.

Gil gave her a look, “Agatha told you everything—right?” At her nod he continued. “The Clank Princess Anevka will be touching down at the hospital in about an hour, my father, considering he’s up and giving orders, may very well decide to talk with her.”

“Hmph, vell Hy ken see vere dat vould be a problem, but _vy_ are hyu taking my guests?”

“One of your guests has vital knowledge that can be used to free my father,” Gil pointed out dryly, with a stubbornness that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “I may be able to use him.”

Zeetha watched the exchange silently, eyes darting in between Gil’s stubborn posture, and Mamma considering look. For a second Mamma’s eyes glanced over them all, Tarvek in the back scribbling something onto a paper using the wall as a surface, Van watching like she was, Higgs—

Mamma returned her attention to Gil. “Fine.”

“It’s done,” Tarvek interrupted, walking over in a sulk, a bunch of paper in his hands. Violetta stood next to him, holding his little journal. “It would take a good hour to copy over the notes, but the directions and ingredients are here, as well as a table for the most likely side effects, not that it’s been fully tested.”

Gil eyed him with a frown and some consideration. “Dr. Sun has worked with less,” Gil replied trying and failing to snatch the notes from Tarvek’s hands. “Sturmvoraus…”

Tarvek looked uncomfortable and extremely unwilling to hand over the paper. Zeetha sidled up next to Violetta and let out a small hum. Violetta looked at her strangely and Zeetha forced herself not to blush. She motioned to the two, “What?”

Violetta smirked, looking pleased. “You missed it, Mister Gil here put on the biggest guilt trip I have ever seen on Tarvek, really told him off, it was great.” Zeetha pouted, annoyed with having missed it, especially if it was good enough for Tarvek to hand over his vaccination like this, his plan hinged on it.

“Oh for the love of,” Gil rolled his eyes looking disappointed. “Look, when this is all over I’ll make sure you get credit if that make you feel better, but it’s going to be _no_ use if we don’t start using it before Lucrezia tries and takes control.” Tarvek considered this and Gil took the lull in his attention to snatch the journal from Violetta’s hands. “Thank you.”

Violetta blinked in confusion. Tarvek jolted in panic. “What, but you said.”

“I said you had five minutes to copy some notes,” Gil said, pocketing the journal.

“But… the encryption…”

“Sun is a Spark, he’ll manage.”  Gil turned away from him “You can keep those.”

“But—!”

“I could take _both_ if you don’t want it.”

Tarvek scowled but winced as a stitch pulled. He pocketed his notes glumly.

Gil turned back to Higgs who was glancing between the two with mild interest. “Anyway, you assigned to me now, come along.”

Higgs sighed. “Yes sir.”

“If we hurry we can get to the hospital in under half an hour,” Gil continued, turning towards Vanamonde. “If we stick to the side roads we should be able to avoid most traffic, and stay relatively subtle.” Tarvek stared at him.

“Really, you’re going up to the surface, into the most crowded and popular tourist destination in Mechanicsburg, only hours after you saved the town, in which they all watched.” He shook his head. “The only reason we got you down here that way was because they were still all trapped on the wall, this is hardly subtle.”

Gil frowned. “You… may have a point.”

Vanamonde conceded to the point as well and lead them down another path, back to the very familiar wine cellar. “We’ll take the tunnels, it will be faster anyway, and we can come up right into the hospital’s basement.”

Gil blinked even as he followed. “You have tunnels connected to the Hospital.”

“Of course, the hospital _was_ built under Heterodynes after all. They are the official evacuation routes and most of the senior staff knows of the main ones, but not all of them,” Vanamonde said dryly opening the hatch. “This way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look who finally lumbered into the story ten chapters late with a tankard of beer _despite_ his name showing up in the _third_ tag.... Higgs your not normal-ness is showing.
> 
> (Though he _has_ been foreshadowed before, twice, I can't remember if anyone caught it or not though.)
> 
> I hope everyone is enjoying!


	12. In Which Klaus is Banished to a Healing Engine

Gil marched through the tunnels, face set to stone. He had stormed off as soon as his feet had met rock, but after a moment realized he honestly didn’t know how to get from here to the hospital and had grudgingly slowed just enough to allow Vanamonde to, at a half-jog, take the lead.

Zeetha followed right behind him, almost at his heel, but not quite, never again if she could help it. Behind her, at some distance came Higgs carrying Gil’s hat as well as Krosp who couldn’t stop snickering about it. Even further back, but not so far as to be attempting an escape, walked Tarvek and Violetta. They were deep in conversation, of what Zeetha didn’t know. From what little murmuring made it to her ears, it wasn’t in a language that she understood anyway, and even then, knowing Tarvek, was coded beyond.

So she ignored him and instead focused on the man before her. He was tense, and concerned, but the frantic energy had left him, calmed by the fact that Luveka wasn’t do to arrive for over an hour. Good. If Zeetha knew anything about Sparks, it was that when frantic they almost always became incredibly stupid. They lost any common sense they had managed to keep, and made rash decisions. Agatha’s safety depended on him not deciding to just blow Mechanicsburg off the map to keep his father safe.

But even now that was still a concern, Zeetha knew, that with his father wasped, Agatha having the voice suddenly became that much more of a problem. Even without the Other’s control she could order the Baron around. Gil was going to take that into account, and she couldn’t depend on him not deciding it was best to just kill her. She still wasn’t comfortable with how he had taken the news that Agatha had been possessed.

She was going to have to keep a close watch on him.

For now though they were rushing through the tunnels, to the Baron’s side she was sure, but to do what she didn’t know, and it bothered her. Enough that after a moment she sped up just a tad and tugged Gil’s sleeve. He started slightly and then turned to her with a stormy look. It was obvious he had been lost in thought.

“What,” he almost growled but caught himself, his voice on the verge of madness. Zeetha let it slide, she couldn’t exactly blame him.

“What is the plan?” She asked quietly. His face relaxed slightly as he looked her over.

“Sneak over to my father’s side, inform Dr. Sun of his wasping, pass the notes to Dr. Sun, get the Princess Anevka as far from him as possible without raising suspicions, get him into a healing engine if possible, that would keep him safe and unreachable for a couple of days, see what I can do about negating some of my father’s orders with the Castle, see if I can make him see reason on  Agatha—” His voice had an uncertainty that had Zeetha chewing on her lip

“If you can’t?”

Gil sighed. “Sedate him and put him into the healing engine anyway, Dr. Sun would love that.” A flicker of a grin crossed his face.

They were quiet for a moment, Zeetha lost in thought.

Finally Gil cleared his throat. Haven been taken from his thoughts, Gil’s posture had relaxed some, though he continued at his pace. “So—my father, he didn’t just say you were maybe here to kill me—” he started awkwardly. Zeetha glanced at him, and when he didn’t continue, hummed lightly. Gil looked at her a bit confused but continued all the same. “He thought it may have been a possibility, but he also said if you weren’t you would be an important ally, and that you might mean a lot to someone he knew.”

Zeetha considered this news while forcing the surprise and hope from her face. Did he know who she was? She hadn’t been sure he had heard her introduction before passing out, but if he did he should know what it meant—if it was him.

Gil rolled his eyes. “Of course he didn’t go any farther than that, he loves being annoyingly vague. I swear he does it on purpose.” He paused, and looked at her. “Do you know who he may have been talking about?”

“Mother probably,” Zeetha responded. “I—Mother was—is horrible at names, but growing up she would tell me this story, about some outsiders: the Crazy Woman, the Taller one, the Shorter one, now that I think about it… I think that had been Lucrezia and the Heterodyne boys.”

“Was my father in that story?”

“There was a forth character.”

Gil couldn’t help but smile slyly. “What was he called?”

Chump, Zeetha almost said but hesitated. She had already introduced herself as daughter of Chump, and she just wasn’t comfortable bring that up without having talked to the Baron first. So instead she just shrugged with a sly smile.

“Ah come on—it was embarrassing wasn’t it.”

Zeetha just smiled a bit wider.

“I bet it had something to do with his hair, didn’t it.”

Zeetha glanced away at the far wall but shook her head. She brushed away some of her own bangs. No, she was the one, unfortunately, to be branded by her hair. Gil pouted as she refused to give up anything else.

“Oh fine, have it your way.”

Zeetha shook her head in amusement, and then hesitated. “Did he say anything else?” She asked. She looked away from Gil, and hoped her voice was devoid of the glimmer of hope she was feeling, or the nerves that stabbed at her stomach.

Gil’s grin faded. “He also mentioned how he thought… you had allied with Agatha, but had since been tricked by Lucrezia,” He watched her face sour at that. “I guess he was probably wrong about that—” Zeetha watched him out of the corner of her eyes. He didn’t look so sure himself. She looked away, her hands balling.

“If the locket hadn’t brought her back I would have let him kill her,” Zeetha said softly but forcefully. Gil started next to her but she refused to look at him. “She would have wanted it that way. I only interfered because I realized it had, I was not going to let her die if there was chance.”

Gil was quiet for a moment. “You fought him?”

Zeetha nodded once.

“He did also call you a formidable fighter,” he then added, trying to lighten her somber mood. “I guess that’s why. You must have put up a good fight.”

Chump was a very controversial topic back home, but even his most outspoken haters couldn’t deny that he had been a great and honored fighter. As an outsider he had managed to gain the title of Djorok’ku less than a year after becoming her mother’s Zumil, a true and rare honor.

So Zeetha couldn’t keep the small, proud smile off her face. Gil seemed pleased to see it, but then frowned and glanced away, before peeking back and looking rather notably at her neck. Zeetha caught his look and frowned. She hummed again, though not quite as confidently.

“He also said—that he noticed you had a… metal collar around your neck. That he didn’t think you were serving the Sturmvoraus by choice. Not that anyone really was, but…”

Zeetha’s face went blank, but after a moment her hand drifted up and pulled down her jackets collar just enough for a slight metal glint to show in the dim light.

Gil looked outrage by it. “I could get that off you.”

Zeetha finally looked back at his face, surprised by his sudden offer. “It would hurt. It have tampering safety,” She resorted, vaguely concerned by the slight madboy tinge in his voice.

His face clouded. “Tricky,” he muttered. “Perhaps—” Zeetha stared as he mumbled through possible solutions, fully intending to actually do something, even though he had only just met her and had no idea of who she may be to him. Even though, unlike Tarvek, who both knew her and felt guilty by its presence, he had no responsibility to her. He just wanted to help with, apparently, no strings attached.

His concern and honest want to help touched her.

Zeetha examined him for a bit more before coming to a decision. “You have control of Stumhulten, yes, the castle.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

Gil snapped from his ponderings and looked at her strangely, “Yes?”

“Then there are things you need to save.” Zeetha continued.

“Things?”

“Tinka and Moxana for one.”

Gil nearly stumbled, but managed, just barely, to keep his cool. “Tinka and— You mean the Muses, Sturmvoraus actually _found_ some.” Zeetha looked at him strangely and he shrugged. “He used to talk about them all the time when we were kids.”

That didn’t surprise her. “Yes, them, they were hidden away from Lucrezia, but Tinka was injured bad, make sure you get all of her. Keep them together, don’t separate them, _don’t_ let Sparks near them.”

She looked sternly at him. “They are people, metal or not. Tinka was my friend.” Her voice caught a little but Zeetha firmly pretended it hadn’t.

Gil glanced at her, “Alright… where can I find them?”

“Tarvek had a secret lab,” She murmured. “I hid them in there after Lucrezia almost found them.” She turned and glanced behind her. They had spread out more, Higgs was now closer to Tarvek than her, close enough to be eavesdropping in fact, she noted with narrowed eyes, but Tarvek was still awhile behind with Violetta. Good. He wouldn’t be happy with her sharing his secrets. Too bad, these secrets were beyond just him. She turned back and told Gil how to find the lab, pulling out her old map and stub of a pencil to mark it for him.

As Gil nodded absentmindedly, putting the directions to memory even as he took the paper, Zeetha continued. “There is more. In the Prince’s office, there is a safe, I don’t know where, but the Spark Wasp notes are inside.”

Gil’s eyes lightened up at that. “Oh, that would be useful, pity all of father’s best codebreakers were killed in the fire at Beetlesburg, I’m sure that safe must be heavily guarded.”

Zeetha made a slight hum in response. She had no idea the security of the safe beyond very high. Tarvek had thought it safest place to leave the notes after all.

“Anything else?”

 Zeetha paused and looked away. She hadn’t liked Anevka, to be completely honest she could care less if she never returned, but Tarvek had plans, plans that possible could help them figure out a way to remove Lucrezia but—

“How safe is the castle?”

Gil looked at her with a frown. “Rather safe bar any unexpected occurrences. The hostile forces have almost been neutralized and the castle is being guarded, no—relatives are being allowed access.”

“Then no, not now.” Anevka was Tarvek’s sister; it was just too far to betray that secret. Gil frowned at her, knowing full well she was keeping something from him, but considering all she had already told him, nodded and let it go.

“Here we go,” Vanamonde interrupted, stopping at a notable groove in the wall. He pressed several bricks in a particular order, and with near silent creak the wall by him split in two and was pulled in to the sides. “This path will leave you right up to the morgues.”

“Why the morgues?” Krosp asked.

“People donate their body to science all the time, but some people take… offence to carting bodies straight from here to the Castle or elsewhere considering… past dealings,” Vanamonde shrugged. “So this was an easy way to do so subtly.”

Gil peered up the dark hall and pulled a thin light from his pockets. “I should probably go alone.” He had no desire to allow Tarvek near his father, none at all. He had admitted to being able to replicate the Other’s voice. He had been working with Lucrezia, even if he preferred her gone, who knew what kind of slimy deals he could have made or plans he had in store. Even now part of Gil didn’t want to believe the Spark Wasp story was true , and this was just one of Tarvek’s schemes, but evidence was pilling up on that being a fools hope. “At least at first, it will be more manageable that way” he looked back at them. “Stay here for now.”

Tarvek snorted but didn’t complain. Higgs shifted. “And me sir?”

Gil grimaced at the idea of lugging the large hat anywhere near his father, let alone the psychotic woman he had left guarding him. Bang would never let it go. “No. No you can stay here as well. No need to—drag the hat all the way upstairs.” Plus this man had managed to save his father, it wasn’t perfect, but he could keep an eye on Tarvek.

Gil caught Higgs eyes and glanced at Tarvek. The Airman stared back at him, but after a long moment made a single nod. Gil wasn’t satisfied but he had to deal with what he could get.

He turned to them. “Get my father safe, inform Dr. Sun of the Spark wasp and the Wasp vaccination, make sure the…clank stays far away until we get the chance to transport her up to Castle Wulfenbach, delay any attacks planned by my father… is there anything else?

Nobody could think of anything, so Gil nodded once and turned to go. Briefly he stopped and rested a hand on Zeetha’s shoulder, already looking distracted by what was coming next. “And I’ll send an order with Boris to rescue your friends, don’t worry, they should be safe by tomorrow night.”

“Friends?” She heard Violetta murmur from behind.

“I don’t—” Tarvek started before stopping abruptly.

Zeetha flinched as she could feel Tarvek’s gaze on the back of her neck. She had become so used to secretive people that she hadn’t thought to make it clear that Gil should keep that information secret from Tarvek. For the last three years that had been nothing but a given.

Gil gave one last wave and trotted up the stairs. Zeetha sighed and moved a little away from the group, knowing full well what was coming.

“What. Did. You. Do?”

Zeetha didn’t flinch, just stood up straight and proudly, and turned to the fuming Tarvek behind her.    

 

“Where have you been!” A tinge of fear shot down Gil’s spine at Dr. Sun’s face of disproval, but he shoved it aside and kept walking. Dr. Sun’s brows rose in surprise but he fell in line.

“Gathering intel,” Gil said shortly. “There are things I need to tell you right away.”

“Then tell me.”

“Not here.”

Dr. Sun’s eyebrows rose even higher.

“Your father has been looking for you,” Dr. Sun told him blandly. “You are to see him as soon as you returned.”

“I will, but this first,” Gil said shaking his head. He stopped and opened a small door. He checked the inside, a small custodial closest, no vents for people to listen in, and a thick heavy door, perfect, or at least as perfect as he was going to get at this point. He held it open. Dr. Sun wrinkled his nose at the accommodations but entered.

As soon as he was in Gil glanced up and down the hall, assuring that nobody was nearby before he firmly closed the door.

“My father has been wasped,” he said blandly as he turned to face Dr. Sun. He continued before Dr.Sun could react. “And yes I know, but apparently that mess at Passholdt,” he gave the doctor a look. Dr. Sun had been hard at work dissecting several of its creatures recently. “—was from a Gottmurg Snarlantz attempting to “improve” upon some Hive Engines that he had been hiding. Most of it ended in disaster but he did manage to produce a Spark Wasp prototype. One in which the Other had on hand when my father confronted her in Stumhulten.”

The tension in the room was palatable. “And you know this how?” Dr. Sun asked after a moment.

“I ran into some of Agatha’s companions in the city,” Gil explained. “They assured me that Agatha was in control of herself—” He held up a hand to stop the coming rebuttal. “And I know I can’t just trust that, but considering the sheer amount of people who have assured me—Stumvarous and Miss Zeetha, she’s that girl Father was looking for, is one thing, I know I can’t just trust them on this, but the secret Seneschal and a Jäger named Mamma Gkika who seemed important—”

“General Gkika?” Dr. Sun interrupted. Gil blinked.

“What?”

“The Gkika I knew is a general. She stayed unattached after your father took the town to keep an eye on the wild Jägers.” Gil gave Dr. Sun a look. He seemed far less concerned now.

“Did you know she works under the city?” Dr. Sun glanced away and Gil rolled his eyes.

“You know what, that’s not important, either way, she both stated that she believed Agatha was in control, that having known Lucrezia she could tell, and showed an extreme dislike for both Lucrezia, who she now knows in the Other, and the Other and her Wasps in general. It’s my impression that between no Heterodyne and a Heterodyne body being led by Lucrezia, they would prefer no Heterodyne.”

“So you’re saying the Jägers are on our side?”

Gil shook his head. “Not exactly, they know my father, they’re not going to let him just destroy Castle Heterodyne and her just like that,” He shook his head and sighed. “I tried to convince them to seek her out and get her to surrender, but she is already inside.”

“Yes Vole informed your father a little over an hour ago.” Dr. Sun told him. “He had been a complete pain since.”

“That doesn’t surprise me, but she’s in the Castle at the moment and she isn’t our first priority right now.” Gil rubbed at the bridge of his nose. “The Other had a machine in Stumhulten that downloaded her mind into Agatha, but she also had Sturmvoraus create a metal head that looks like his sister, and downloaded herself into that as well. The Princess Anevka that will be arriving in a couple of hours is not her. We need to keep her as far away from my father as possible. Without her knowing we’re on to her if we can.”

Gil rolled his eyes in frustration, “Since Sturmvoraus decided it would be a great idea to copy Agatha’s voice and give it to his sister, she has the ability to control wasps just as Agatha dose. From what I’ve been told she doesn’t know my father had been wasped, they had already separated at the time, but we can’t take any chances.”

He looked over to Dr. Sun. “I know this isn’t in your job description, but I need you to get her placed into a hotel away from here, and have her moved up to Castle Wulfenbach as soon as it arrives. Don’t let her know we know something is up, who knows how many wasped people are around. And whatever happens she _cannot_ meet with my father.”            

Dr. Sun was quiet for a long moment, gazing at Gil evenly before he nodded. “Very well, that shouldn’t be hard, there is no reason she should be staying at the hospital anyway. We are not a mechanics shop, we are certainly not a prison, and we are far to overcrowded as is.”

Gil nodded and pulled a journal from his pocket, he carefully pulled out a loose paper from its pages and put that one back. “Now this _is_ part of your job description, take a look at this.”

He handed the journal, opened to the relevant pages, to Dr. Sun, who raised an eyebrow, but took it. He didn’t need to read far, Tarvek had helpfully titled, albeit heavily encrypted, the start of his notes Wasp Inoculation. Dr. Sun’s brows raised more and he skimmed and translated through the pages. Gil watched in an almost disturbed fascination as the emotions passed through Dr. Sun’s face. The chief amongst them was excitement, as his eyes widened with each page. He had never seen Dr. Sun excited before. It was nerve wracking.

“This is—” Dr. Sun started, his voice so far mad that Gil swallowed. Dr. Sun was better than even his father at controlling the Spark normally. “An ingenious solution… I must speak with the creator!”

“That will be a bit difficult,” Gil said slowly. “Since the creator is Tarvek Sturmvoraus. And I don’t want him anywhere near my father while he is indisposed and bed ridden.”

Dr. Sun blinked and like that the glee in his eye vanished, replaced with a neutral frown. He glanced down at the notes in his hands more seriously, flipping back to the first page.

“Apparently he and Miss Zeetha took it,” Gil continued staring at the papers himself. “And considering the situation he was in, Lucrezia with a Spark wasp, and the fact he couldn’t have known my father was coming, I can believe it. But still, I need you to go over that and make sure. Test it any way possible, and if it does work start vaccinating people on the sly. Start with any unwasped doctors and surgeons, the Vesper patrol when they arrive, and Father’s guard. Then pass it on to Boris to begin handing out amongst the officers.

“After that look into any possibilities of enhancing it into a cure,” Gil continued. “Sturmvoraus seems to think it could be done, and I’m going to be having the Spark Wasp notes shipped here from Stumhulten as soon as I can, which should help tremendously.”

Sun nodded slowly giving the first page another look.

“Good. Now I need to see my father,” Gil sighed. “I’m hoping I can convince him to use a full body healing engine. By the time he’s out the Other should be safely imprisoned on Castle Wulfenbach.” He paused. “And on the way I need to find someone to ferry some orders to Stumhulten.”

“There’s more?” Dr. Sun asked blandly.

 Gil sighed and nodded. “There’s a lot more.”

 

They separated after that. Gil headed towards his father’s wing and floor by way of the solider filled halls, and Dr. Sun strode off to make preparations for the Princess Anevka’s arrival. He stepped lightly, almost in a hurry, since he knew he would be needed in Klaus room shortly. He had known that boy since Klaus had been barely more than a college student, and never had he been a good patient. It would be uncharacteristic of him, despite his son’s obvious hopes, to stand down with the enemy in his backyard. Dr. Sun suspected sedatives were in order.

On his return trip to Klaus’ floor he found himself surveying the overcrowded halls of his hospital. It had been many years ago, after having to fle—“vacation” away from China for a while, that he first joined Mechanicsburg. At the time the hospital had been the tenth its size it was today, and nobody dared come for treatment. Over the nearly forty years since he had watched and helped it grow into something great. It was here that he had raised his children, and it was here that his granddaughters had been born and grown.

He was friends with Klaus, but he had also been friends with the Boys, and this was his home. Living so long here, working for the good of the city, and having been an old companion of its leaders, had given him an in that most foreigners never got. Something Klaus had lost much of when he had returned as an emperor instead of a friend. It was enough for him to see beyond the careful facade, to be let in on some secrets, though by far not all of them.

He never went looking either, he preferred to not put himself in a position to need to choose, but he had caught Gilgamesh words even if he hadn’t asked for more. “Would not let him destroy the Castle,” just what has Klaus been doing with those papers he had let him. In his mind Sun began calculating the number of casualties and injured such a feat would create and scowled.

Klaus was his friend, yes, but this was his home, and if there was any other option—

“Doctor! Doctor!” A young female nurse called out rushing to him. He stopped and carefully put on a face of neutralism. “There were sounds of gunfire from the Baron’s floor again.”

“How long ago?” he mused. “Was their anything else afterwards?”

“About a half hour, and no sir, they just tapered off.”

He grunted and waved her away. Another mess he was sure, that giant lump was good for nothing else, but Klaus was sure to be fine, he would have heard elsewise.

He continued on his way. Not much later he came across one of his oldest and most trusted orderlies. Mr. Thomson had joined the hospital only months after Dr. Sun had, and had been one of the first non-Mechanicsburgians to do so. He had been away on vacation recently and Sun was secretly glad he had returned in time to help with the rush. He did his work well, discreetly, and kept the younger orderlies in line when necessary. Because of this he was one of the few employees Sun trusted on the Baron’s floor.

Mr. Thomson looked distressed and exhausted, with deep bags under his eyes. Dr. Sun frowned, and thought that perhaps he should send the man to rest.

“Mr. Thomson,” he called out as he passed. The orderly jumped, and then looked relived.

“Sir I have been looking for you,” he hesitated as if rethinking his words. “We’ve had another arrival—”

“We’re had non-stop arrivals for the last three days,” Dr. Sun stopped him sourly. “I need you to come with me, there is sure to be a mess on Klaus floor that needs cleaning.”

Mr. Thomson opened his mouth but then closed it with a click. He nodded glumly but Dr. Sun missed it. “Yes sir.”

As he suspected the hall outside of Klaus’ current room was splattered in blood and several bodies littered about. The former Jäger leaned against the wall by Klaus’ door and picked at his teeth with a well-manicured claw. At their approach he stiffened, glanced at the blood at his feet, and then in an almost disturbingly mannerly manner, opened the door for him. Dr. Sun nodded to Mr. Thomson , who glanced around at the mess and shrugged having had cleaned worse today, and entered.

“I saw your performance at the wall,” Klaus was saying, giving Dr. Sun only the slightest of glances. “I see you didn’t learn your lesson from Beetlesburg.” Gil tensed and was about to defend himself when Klaus continued. “But… I was impressed. Good job.”

Gil deflated and he stared wide eyed at his father just long enough for Klaus to look concerned.

“I… Thank you but…” Gil paused, debated, and then sighed. “I know you’re wasped.”

“What?” Bang deadpanned. Everyone ignored her.

Klaus eyes widened and he gaped for a second. “You do? I—”His eyes grew larger. “I can speak now?” He mused almost to himself, but then shook it off.

Gil’s heart sank, so much for it all being a plot of Sturmvoraus. He continued, afraid of letting his father get a word in edge wise. “And you’re in danger, the Other will be in Mechanicsburg within the hour—”

“She is already here,” Klaus interrupted, eyes narrowing and lips parsing at Gil. Any look of pride that had been left brushed away. “She had been sighted entering the Castle. I was told you knew this.”

“No, Yes, I mean probably,” Gil waved a hand. “But she’s not who I’m talking about. There are two of them—”

“Two?!”

“—Thanks to that idiot Sturmvoraus, she’s now posing as the Princess Anevka, she has a copy of Aga-Miss Heterodyne’s voice, and she’ll be here in less than an hour.”

The room went silent. All eyes were on the Baron. Dr. Sun watched as the vein in his neck throbbed and his hands twitched. A well know sign of him attempting to suppress a madness fugue. He glanced over to where he kept the sedatives only to find them gone. His lips curled as he remembered that they had been used to keep a particularly tricky blob monster down. He had meant to get more, but one thing after another had spread him thin. He refused to let it show, but he was exhausted.

He turned and left to get more. It would be direly needed he was sure. He pushed against the door, eyes rolling when he realized the ex-jager hadn’t even managed to close it properly behind him. He had a supply set up outside just in case, so it wasn’t a far walk, and as he stocked up he surveyed the work of his orderly.

The blood had already been mopped up, as he suspected it would be, and all that was left was Mr. Thomson stacking up the bodies on a gurney to be moved. He was sluggish and stiff as he worked. Again Dr. Sun wondered if he should tell his employee to take a break. It was counterproductive to have to treat his own staff for nervous breakdowns and exhaustion.

“Leave them,” he told him. The Orderly straightened and nodded. Dr. Sun waved him away. “Go take a break while you can.”

Mr. Thomson opened his mouth to speak just as Dr. Sun turned away and returned to the room. He closed it with a sigh, and at Vole’s leering smirk, rubbed at his neck, and hurriedly left the ward.

Dr. Sun returned to find Gil explaining his plan to deal with the Other in the clank. “—I figured since Lucrezia lived here she’d know far more about the town than we do. So I’m hoping to get her up onto Castle Wulfenbach before she knows what is happening. Especially since we don’t know who is and who isn’t wasped in town. Her being rerouted to a hotel do to overcrowding at the hospital, and guarded by a couple of guards do to being a Sturmvoraus in Mechanicsburg seems reasonable enough to not cause any alarm.”

Klaus thought that over and then nodded. Gil’s shoulders relaxed a bit.

“Until then though you have to stay hidden. I was thinking a full body healing engine—”

“Absolutely not!” The tension sprang back into Gil’s shoulders like an overburdened spring.

“Well, why not,” Gil grumbled. “You’d be safe from hearing any orders until long after she’s taken cared of, and you’d be fully healed when you get out.”

“With my injuries it will take well over a day in even Sun’s best engine to be fully healed.” Klaus explained as if it was obvious. “And I know once I’m in there Sun won’t let me out before I’m done. I have things I need to supervise—”

“Like the destruction of Castle Heterodyne,” Gil snapped back, a stubborn set to his jaw, his voice crackling. Dr. Sun applauded his foresight in grabbing two syringes. Wulfenbach genes were so stubborn.

Klaus blinked once and then set his gaze on his son in a searching way. He nodded. “Yes. Like that. You found out.”

Gil didn’t know what to do with the almost pride in his father’s voice, so he shoved the thought away. “At first I thought you were just finding fault in how I was handling the Empire,” he admitted with some bite, glancing away. For a second Klaus’ face softened in concern.

“Gil—”

“But then I put it together.” Gil shook his head. “Really father, this is your first choice, destroying the Castle. The people inside aside, that amount of destruction in such a high populated area—”

“It was my only choice!” Klaus barked in defense. “We cannot allow the Other to gain control of a functioning Castle. Even a non-functioning one is too much. It needs to be stopped now before she can use it.”

“But what if she _isn’t_ the Other!” Gil snapped back, rubbing a hand down his face. Calmer he continued. “Father while in the city I ran across some of her companions, including Miss Zeetha.”

That caught Klaus attention and the betrayed reply died in his throat. “You did?”

“Yes and Miss Zeetha agrees that Agatha was being controlled when you encountered her at the caravan fields, but she assures me that when she put that locket you had on, apparently it was something Barry Heterodyne designed to stop her breakthrough, it pushed her away.”

“Gilgamesh—”

“I know we can’t trust them just like that, but that along with other factors leads me to believe that there’s a really good chance that she’s isn’t the Other right now.”

Klaus stared down Gil like he was an assignment to grade, and Gil’s heart sank when he sighed in disappointment.

“I was afraid of this,” Klaus said eyeing him sternly. The fact he was still bed ridden and bandage doing nothing to limit the force of that stare. “Your attraction to her is clouding your judgment.”

“Father!”

“Even in the slight chance she isn’t the Other,” Klaus continued as if he hadn’t heard him. “Her coming into power threatens all of us. We can’t risk what an untested Heterodyne will do, not when the Empire is at a weak point. At the least, others will take it as precedence to break away themselves, and at the most, well…”

“You think she’ll attack,” Gil asked aghast. “She tried to go to you for help, why would she attack?”

Klaus lips twitched. “She didn’t surrender after she regained control.”

“Because you were attacking her!”

“At the time I was busy fighting off Zeetha, she’s is the one who set the wagons upon us.”

Gil stuttered for a second, and then shook his head harshly. “Probably because she was _scared,_ she thought you were going to _kill_ her, you were fighting one of her allies. Agatha is smart, I’m sure she’s doing what she sees is best. Maybe she’s wrong but—”

Klaus face stormed. “If she _truly_ wanted what’s best she would have _let_ me _kill_ her.”

Gil’s reply died in his throat. He stared.

“And afterward she ran here, of all places and is now trying to get ahold of one of the most powerful weapons in all of Europa.” Klaus growled. “Just like when she ran from the castle once it got out she was a Heterodyne.”

“You yourself said you drove her away.” Gil choked out.

“Yes and I’m willing to accept the consequences.”

“Consequences—” Gil muttered, frozen at his father’s words. He thought of Agatha’s glee at seeing something she had made work. She thought of Theo and Sleipnir and all of the other students who had befriended her.  He thought of the Jägers, desperate for a new Heterodyne but still wary. He thought of Miss Zeetha and her threats to protect her Zumil. He even though of Tarvek who was willing to give up notes and tell secrets and work with him all for Agatha.

He thought of his father’s words. His father’s view. His father’s plan.

 _No_. No he _refused_.

Gil straightened, his features set, his eyes wild. “No.”

“NO?”

“NO!” Gil shook his head, his hands fisted at his side. “No I won’t let you! Agatha doesn’t deserve this! Not when there’s a chance!” He turned on his heel and dashed through the door. “Dr. Sun!” He ordered from the hall back to the room, where Dr. Sun silently stood.

“Gilgamesh!” Klaus roared attempting to push himself up on the bed. He failed.

Dr. Sun quietly approached.

“Vole! After him! Get him safely confined on Castle Wulfenbach by any means necessary!”

Vole grinned a sick grin and dashed out of the room. Dupree pouted from her corner. Klaus caught movement from the corner of his eye.

“What are you doing!” Klaus yelped as Dr. Sun readied a syringe next to his bed.

“Your son is correct, Klaus, if there shall be an incarnation of the Other in my hospital, even briefly, we can’t risk you getting taken, an armored healing engine would be the safest place for you until you have healed.”

“What no!” Klaus looked absolutely horrified. “You can’t—I order you—l—”

“Klaus,” Dr. Sun said stiffly. “A citizen of you Empire I may be, I am not one of your employees.” He sighed, “but I am your doctor, and your body is not ready for that,” Klaus had pushed himself up and even had one foot off the bed. He was panting and had gone grey, but desperation filled his every move. Desperately he attempted to stand up. “Nor is your Empire prepared if you get compromised.”

“Dupree stop him!”

To Klaus complete surprise Dupree hesitated, staring at him, as if, for the first time in her life, she was actually thinking of the consequence of fighting. She broke out of it quickly, and pounced at Dr. Sun, who easily snatched her arm, flipped her over, and then threw her at the wall, but it still shook Klaus to the bone. Everyone was turning against him. Dupree smacked into the wall hard, a slight crack splintering in the plaster, and collapsed to the floor.

Dr. Sun tsked. “I generally prefer not to produce my own patients Klaus,” he told him, pushing back none too gently on the just barely standing man. Klaus fell back onto his bed with a muffled gasp of pain. Dr. Sun looked slightly apologetic, but when he turned to face him it had been wiped from his face.

Klaus stared up at him frantic. “You can’t—I have to run—I’m the only one who _can!”_

“Have faith in your boy Klaus,” Dr. Sun told him sourly. “He is your son after all, for good and ill.”

Klaus struggled as Dr. Sun stuck the over-sized syringe into him. “He knows what he’s getting into, he’s not going into this blind, you chide people for underestimating him, don’t fall into that trap yourself.”

Klaus stopped struggling and Dr. Sun grunted in approval. He straightened, and glanced in frustration at the room. No nurse or orderly were allowed on this floor of the ward without direct order, all of Klaus guards were gone or unconscious, and he couldn’t just leave Klaus when he was alone.

Rolling his eyes he approached the downed Dupree.

 

“What did you tell him,” Tarvek hissed again when Zeetha didn’t respond fast enough. His face was inches from hers, and he stared straight into her eyes with a narrowed gaze. Zeetha squared her shoulders and refused to be cowed.

“I told where to find Moxana and Tinka.” She said stiffly.

“You had no right—”

 “Tinka is my _friend!”_ Zeetha snapped, startling the others who watched warily from down the tunnel. Even Tarvek was stunned and thrown off balance. “I had every right to protect her, and her sister too!”

“Protect her?” Tarvek asked in disbelief, “Do you realize what will happen if a Spark gets his hands on them!”

“I told him to keep them together and away from Sparks,” Zeetha defended.

“And you trust him!”

“Tinka and Moxana are alone there, if the Wulfenbach’s don’t find them your family will, and I trust them less,” Zeetha shot back.

“They’re hidden away in my most secret lab,” Tarvek snarled. “Or at least they were until you went and told him.”

“Tinka’s in pieces, unconscious probably, and Moxana can’t move herself. Even if they aren’t found they will be trapped there alone for who knows how long, perhaps forever if both of us die, do you want _that?”_

“They’d be safe—“

“That’s not safe, that’s torture, that’s a slow fall into madness.” Zeetha spun on her heel, gesturing with her hands in a vain attempt to burn off the frustration that was building inside her. Tarvek was just so thick, only wanting to see what he wanted to see. “Nobody to talk to, the view not changing, all alone with nothing but the scattered deactivated remains of her sister, _you_ call that _safe_?”

She turned back at him, her lips thin, and was somewhat pleased to see that even in the eerily blue glow of the mushrooms she could tell he had paled. At least what she was saying was getting through to him.

He turned subtly away from her gaze, accidently glancing over to where the other were. They jumped slightly and pretended to be busy. He sighed and pulled his glasses off his face to rub at his temples. “I trusted you to not say anything…”

“Only because I physically couldn’t tell your secrets,” Zeetha told him sourly. “That’s not _real_ trust.” She almost left it there, but something spurred her on. Her voice went low, enough that she hoped only they could hear it, and for safety sake she used her hands as much as possibly as well. “And if they were just your secrets I wouldn’t have _, I didn’t tell him about Anevka._ But those, they are not just yours. They affect more people than that, Moxana and Tinka, Everyone in Europa.”

“Everyone in Europa, how dose—” he paused and turned back at her, any trace of regret stripped from his face. “Tell me you didn’t—” Zeetha glanced away and Tarvek threw his hands into the air.

“If he gets a hand on those notes it makes me practically useless,” he vented to the air, though he had enough peace of mind to at least try to keep his voice down. Uselessly though as the others were easily close enough to hear it anyway, though they were awkwardly pretending they weren’t. “He could cut me out, he could throw me in prison and leave me to rot, and then where would I be.”

“Would he?”

“Wha—of course, I’m the Storm King, and he knows it, that alone makes us enemies.”

“Dose it _really_ have to?”

“What?”

“Do you really have to be enemies?” Before Tarvek could resort Zeetha continued. “Whatever the Wulfenbach Empire is like,” Zeetha started with narrowed eyes. “They are against slavery, against the Other and they have much more power than us. Why wouldn’t I’ve given them the tools they needed to fight her?”

“Bu-but I—” Tarvek sputtered, Zeetha watched him unimpressed.

“Because you wanted to do it yourself? Because you want to be the hero in everyone’s eyes? The person who saved the day? Enough that you’re willing to sabotage and hold back information so others can’t, even if it would be faster, or more effective, or less people would get hurt.” Zeetha shook her head.

Tarvek sputtered again but nothing intelligible came out.

“That’s not being a hero, that is just wanting the glory of one.”

Tarvek looked as if he’d been struck but he managed to mostly compose himself quickly in time to resort.

“Of course _not_ , I can’t be a hero, with my family—I’ve accepted that ages ago. I have to be the sneaky bad guy to get _anything_ done at all.”

 “You accepted it as fact, but really it’s only fact because you accepted it.” Zeetha told him as if he was a dumb child. “If you want to be a hero, _be one_.”

With that she walked away, done with Tarvek, done with talking, done with anything. She passed by the awkward three uncaringly and continued down the tunnel until she found a rocky outcropping she could sit on. She had no desire to get pulled into another conversation. Instead the closed her eyes, rubbed at her throat, and attempted to just breathe.


	13. In Which Zeetha and Gil fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Putting this up a bit early 'cause why the heck not since I was editing it at this hour anyway, and it's technically Wednesday.

It was quiet. A slow, leeching, kind of quiet that made people shift and squirm and be too afraid to break. Zeetha sat away from the others, shoulder’s stiff, and face stubbornly looking down the path to glowing mushroom dotted darkness.

Krosp slept peacefully, pleased by the entertainment. His ears twitched every time a drip echoed.

Violetta had returned to Tarvek’s side, her footsteps silenced by the everlasting drip. He leaned against the cave wall, head down, his face shadowed by hair. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t feel she needed too. She had never seen him get called out by anyone but herself before today.

Higgs leaned on one side of the secret door’s entrance. He smoked quietly, hands in his pockets, the hat squished under one arm, seeming as relaxed as one can be. His dreamy, almost thoughtful gaze was directed to the ceiling as his pipe slowly swished from one side of his mouth to the other.

Van, at the other side of the door seemed to be trying to copy the other blonde’s demeanor, but was failing. His hand twitched around his pocket watch, as if he desperately wanted to check the time, but was too nervous to let the ticking free.

It was quiet.

“I CAN”T BELIEVE HIM!”

Everyone jumped. The thundering of footsteps on the stairs that led to the hospital sounded as if they were the prelude to an entire platoon of solders, but only Gil entered. Eyes wide in madness, hands clutched so hard that if he didn’t have the habit of biting his fingernails down they would have broken skin, his face one of total fury.

He didn’t pay any mind to Van or Higgs or Krosp, now wide awake, and only bothered to pay as much attention to Tarvek as was needed to snatch his hand out and drag him along after him. Gil continued to mutter nonsense as Violetta snatched Tarvek’s other sleeve to keep up. He muttered as Van rushed to catch him and as Higgs lumbered behind. He muttered over the grumbles of Krosp’s disturbed nap, and only stopped when, as he passed, Zeetha reached out and tugged on his sleeve, hard.

He didn’t miss a beat. “He—He—Ugh!” he snarled, his pace slowing marginally. Zeetha jogged two steps to his side and then matched that pace easily. “He is _completely_ impossible.”

“You say it like it’s new.” Tarvek grumbled under his breath.

“It’s not!” Gil agreed to Tarvek’s surprise. “But he can’t even let me take control for _one_ minute. He refuses to let himself believe that for _once_ he’s wrong.”

“Once?” Tarvek responded.

“Now what?” Zeetha urged before the two could start fighting again.

“Sun will sedate him and get him into a healing engine. The Other in the clank will be sent to a hotel and then to Castle Wulfenbach,” Gil started, his eyes narrowing. “Now I need to deal with Agatha.”

It went quiet. Everyone stared at him with varying levels of concern and outright threat.

“How?” Zeetha asked, her tone flat.

“I’m going in after her, with my father indisposed for a couple of days we can work something out before she regains Castle Heterodyne. With Sun, the hospital’s labs, the Spark Wasp notes, and—” he shook Tarvek’s arm, who winced in pain. “—this idiot, we should be able to work something out before he awakens. Something that hopefully my father can deal with.”

“If he doesn’t? If we are too slow?”

“Then we’ll figure out something then.” Gil had taken a step or two away from the Madness place but Van still jumped when he suddenly turned to him. “What the fastest way to the surface?”

 

“You said you wanted the fastest way to the surface.” Van reminded as they made their slow way through the crowd of onlookers who all wanted a look at their hero. Thankfully the look on Gil’s face as they had first swarmed made them back off, if not by much.

“I didn’t think we would come out in a crowd!” Gil shot back.

Van shrugged. “Be glad, the tourists are giving you more peace then they usually do. It shouldn’t be that much longer until we break free of them—”

“Hy found hyu!”

A gun fired and the tourists fled, though most didn’t go far. Gil cursed under his breath and turned to find Vole smirking at him, a large gun in hand, and surrounded by a mismatch of soldiers. “How did he get here so fast?”

“Most of the tunnels have been around for generations,” Van hissed. “He was banished before the hospital was put in, but he would know the others.”

“Hy knew hyu would be headink to the Castle,” Vole continued. “So giff it up, Hyu Poppa wants hyu back und safe in Castle Wulfenbach und Hy get to do anythink to get hyu there.” He pointed a gun at a crowd of tourists, who ohhed in excitement.

“Uh—sir, I don’t think the Baron would like—” One of the soldiers started, Vole turned and pointed his gun at him.

“De Baron said “in _any_ meanz necessary.” The solder gulped and nodded. Vole turned his gun back at the tourists. “Now how about ve rap dis up, hyu an’t gunna let dese pipple get hurt, _hero_ , zo lets go.”

It was quiet for a second and then Gil sighed. “ _Fine_.” He whined as he let go of Tarvek’s arm and stepped forward. Vole’s grin dropped a bit, he had been hoping for _something_ of a fight.

“What are you doing,” Tarvek whispered. Gil shushed him and continued forward. Zeetha stepped with him. Gil glanced over and then back at Vole.

Vole frowned. “Wot iz dis?”

Gil opened his arms and shrugged. “The girl Father was looking for. Do you think he would be happy if she was left to wander around?”

Vole thought on this

“But really what I don’t understand,” Gil continued as he stepped right in front of Vole. Zeetha settled at his side, her hands on her swords’ hilts under her cloak. “Is how—YOU FORGOT WHO YOU WERE DEALING WITH!”

Gil smacked the gun out of Vole’s hand. It‘s laser shot into the air. Zeetha caught the handle on the tip of a sword and flung it behind her, far from Vole’s reach. Her second sword slashed at his legs causing him to fumble into Gil who threw him over his shoulder and into the cobble below.

Vole didn’t move. Gil snorted through his nose. Zeetha sheathed her swords.  A bird hit the cobble nearby, one wing burned off.

“You didn’t have to follow,” Gil told Zeetha simply as he brushed off some dust from his vest.

Zeetha shrugged. “He annoys me.”

Gil smiled at her, then tightened his expression and returned focus to the mismatched soldiers before him.

“The answer to your question solider,” Gil said to the stunned military men. “Is that no, father would not like tourist’s being threatened. Have him locked up at the local goal until we have time to deal with him.”

“Perhaps,” a voice said from behind. “But you are still to be taken home.” Gil cursed and turned again to find Sergeant Nak and a larger collection of soldiers. “The guards at your father’s ward heard that plainly enough.”

Gil scowled. “I do not have time for this—”

Zeetha blinked and he was gone. Something brushed against her arm. She stared after its momentum and could almost swear she saw…something.

The crowds hovering in the side alleys, porches, and out of windows, cheered, and poured into the streets.

It took a little finagling, but Zeetha managed to slip away without catching more attention from the Wulfenbach guards, who were attempting to regain order and questioning people randomly. She stumbled onto Krosp and Van first down a side street.

“Where did he go?”

Zeetha shrugged and glanced around.

“I don’t know, but we probably also lost Sturmvoraus.” Krosp grumbled back.

Zeetha snorted at the idea. She turned towards the Castle and began to walk off.

“Where are you going?”

Zeetha looked back and pointed forward. Castle Heterodyne, as it was in all parts of the city, loomed high in the air. “They’ll go there.” She continued on. Krosp and Van looked at each other, shrugged, and followed.

 

“I can’t believe you guys are here?” Gil said as he attempted to get a look through the curtains. Still crowded, unfortunately. “What are you doing here though? I thought you were going to find your father’s lost lab, Theo?”

“You’re welcome for saving you,” Sleipnir responded as she entered the room with an extensive jumble of wires and cogs that at a glance Gil could tell was for opening bottles. She was smiling, but her voice was stiff. Gil wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“We are.” Theo said. “ _After_ I checked up on my cousin.”

“You… didn’t tell me that when I gave you the device.”

“No. I didn’t.” Theo agreed, tapping lamp like device with a finger and then leaning back on his chair. He looked squarely at Gil. “I didn’t trust you.”

It went quiet.

The awkward moment stretched out until Gil sighed and turned back to the window. “Can’t say I entirely blame you. You hadn’t seen me in years, and I suppose it was a bit of a shock finding out who I really was.

Sleipnir snorted. “You think?”

Theo grabbed the bottle opener from her and opened a bottle. “Yes that, then there was the chaos of how we left… and the things I saw before I left… I wasn’t sure how involved in all of it you were.”

Gil almost told them the truth about Othar before decided it would be a bad idea. “Yeah… and now?”

The two glanced at each other. “I don’t know… what is going on with Agatha?”

Gil grimaced and sat down hard on an empty chair. He accepted the bottle Sleipnir gave him without thought. He took a sip, vaguely surprised by the lack of kick, it must not have been one of Theo’s, and sighed. “I’m— not entirely sure.”

He took another sip and mulled over his words. “My father thinks she’s the Other, or that the Other has taken over her, it’s a long story. Agatha herself sent out a message saying that. The people she was traveling with—they also say the Other was downloaded into her, but also say that she has it under control.”

“So the rumors from Stumhulten are true?”

Gil scratched the back of his neck and looked away. His face went a little red. “Some of them?”

Theo and Sleipnir frowned at each other. Theo took a long gulp while Sleipnir turned her attention to him.

“And what are you going to do about it?”

“I want… to meet her. I want to see for myself,” Gil said slowly, eyeing his bottle as he slushed the alcohol around. “If she’s… her then she deserves a chance, and if not… well.” Gil’s face darkened and he swung his head back to gulp the last mouthful down with closed eyes. “I deal with her myself.”

When he opened them he had expected disturbed looks, concerned looks, maybe even disgusted looks. Most people weren’t raised with that kind of responsibility on their shoulders. Even Sleipnir was only the daughter of a very small town and had forsaken any claim to it when she fled with Theo.

Instead they were smiling at him, small sure smiles. Gil blinked and Sleipnir pounced dragging him into a tight hug. “And that’s why we know we can trust you.” She leaned back with a bright grin. “How can we help?”

Gil parsed his lips. “The invisibility device may be useful.” If it truly was a Heterodyne device would the Castle still be able to see him? Probably if any of his father’s stories were true. Still any help was help. Maybe he could use it to sneak inside—

No. The soldiers knew he was out without his father’s permission. He hadn’t bothered to try and stall any of his father’s orders because of that, they wouldn’t listen. Even with Klaus down the destruction would probably still happen, it was already ordered… unless something even more important was inside… like it’s heir. They wouldn’t destroy Castle Heterodyne with him inside without his father’s direct orders he was sure… and his father probably wouldn’t either on the unlikely chance he got past Sun, unless he got _really_ desperate…so yeah, probably.

And once he got Agatha out things would be different.

It was his best and only shot really.

“What are you planning on doing?”

Lost in thoughts and plans Gil responded automatically. “Agatha is in the Castle, I’m going to find her. I need as many people to see me enter as possible to keep my father from destroying it—”Gil frowned and pondered the best way to get a crowd. It shouldn’t be too hard with his stunt from earlier, right. Maybe Theo would know, he was good with audiences from his storytelling

Sleipnir nodded and walked over to a bag on a side table. “What kind of tools do you think we’ll need?” She asked.

“Nothing too much, we need to find Agatha not fix the Castle—wait, _we!_ ” Gil’s head popped up and he gave Sleipnir a stern expression that was ruined by his surprise. “Neither of you are coming, it’s too dangerous.”

Sleipnir gave his a blank look. Theo laughed into his drink. Gil sweated.

“What. Kind. Of _Tools_. Do _We_. Need?”

He was saved by the sound of explosions and screams: of delight or fear he couldn’t tell, from out the window.

 

Zeetha was hungry. She wished she had thought to ration her pastries. Though she supposed it wouldn’t have changed much, it still would have been the same amount of food in the day. Her body was trying to make up from what she missed before, she knew. She hadn’t eaten properly since the day Agatha had fallen into her life, and she knew she needed a lot more than the average person.

As was obvious from how she ate back in Stumhulten. She devoured everything she was given because it was difficult to get food otherwise, kitchen raids non-withstanding. While Tarvek, or even the old Prince with his heavier stature, left plenty of scraps on their plates by dinner’s end, completely _wasteful_ scraps that were just thrown away afterwards.

Skifander had made plenty of scraps to be sure, but they were always collected and baked into rolls for snacks, and quick meals, food for traveling and missions. Sweeter dough for the left over fruits, savory ones for the meat and vegetables… oh this was just making her hungrier.

 Staying up for days at a time took energy, energy came from food, and once you started something like that one couldn’t just tell one’s stomach that, “no, tonight I will be sleeping, you don’t need to be hungry.” It just didn’t work that way.

So she was starving, but could do nothing about it since she, yet again, had no coin.

“…would you like a honey snail?”

Zeetha jolted and glanced up to find Higgs staring down at her, a single eyebrow raised. He had joined them not long ago, lumbering in just as easily as he had disappeared before. Zeetha hadn’t _asked_ him about where he had been or why it had taken him so long to find them. She _had_ raised an eyebrow though and to some surprise Higgs had shifted and given her a slow shrug,

“Wit’ this uniform and this hat I really didn’t want to get noticed by the guards,” he had admitted. “Too much trouble.”

“Minu?” She responded now, ever so elegant, before cursing herself for her lack of attention. “I mean, what?”

“You’ve been staring hungrily at that stand for the last ten minutes,” he said simply. “I think the owner is beginning to get a little uncomfortable.”

Zeetha looked away. “No money.”

It was quiet. Higgs shifted the hat from one arm to the next. “…I could buy you one.”

Zeetha blinked, and then, for reasons she didn’t understand, she blushed. “Ni I am alright—” Her stomach gurgled. Zeetha scowled at her body’s betrayal. “Mor—uh, I am—”

Gil’s hat was in her hands. Zeetha stared down at it. She looked up to see Higgs at the stand, talking to the owner. He returned with a snail. “It’s no problem.” He told her as he handed it to her.

Zeetha grabbed it. The stick was already a little sticky. The smell was wonderful. This was, she realized slowly, the second gift she had been given since coming to Europa. The second real one, at least, as far as she was concerned.

“Ala,” she told Higgs and took a bite. He didn’t seem to need a translation, just nodded, and returned his heavy lidded gaze to the sky.

After a moment he asked. “How do you know Master Wulfenbach?”

Zeetha swallowed a bite and shrugged. “I don’t, really. Agatha told me to watch him.”

“Ah.” He responded. “…And how do you know Miss Heterodyne.”

Suddenly Zeetha was reminded of his weirdness in Mamma’s. She looked up at him from the corner of her eyes, he wasn’t looking at her. “She… helped me when I most needed it.” She told him simply. She twirled the snail in her fingers. “I’m replaying the favor.”

He didn’t respond, couldn’t, as someone shrieked from down the road and the streetlights suddenly flared and stood. One by one launching themselves into the air. Some more successfully than others as one teetered and fell onto a stand not far from where they stood.

“The Torchman!” Van gasped his eyes wide with delight. “They’re alive!”

“Yes,” Krosp said, tone stiff as he patted down some fur that had poofed with the noise. “But where are they going?”

Zeetha’s eyes drifted upwards at the pink balloon as it suddenly jolted into action, desperately rising away from the much faster torchmen.

“The balloon?” Higgs mused from beside her.

“The fake Heterodyne.” Zeetha told him. For a second she would have sworn his look turned dark, but then it was gone.

He glanced down at her. “Hmm,” He replied. “The Empire likely had a call on it already.”

Zeetha nodded only for her heart to sink as Van gasped. She and Higgs looked up again to see Castle Wulfenbach suddenly burst from the cloud cover and right into the path of the pink airship. They watched for several moments as the torchmen veered, most heading right to the behemoth of the skies. Small dots of orange burst sporadically among its shell, and even with a tourchman falling periodically, slowly the ship began to drift away from town.

“This isn’t good.” Krosp stated sourly.

“No it isn’t.” Tarvek said from behind her.

Zeetha turned and simply gave him a look, unimpressed by his entry. Violetta stood next to him.

“You came back?” Krosp asked grudgingly impressed.

Tarvek didn’t bother to answer, his face grim. He glanced around the group and it only grew grimmer. “Where’s Wulfenbach?”

Zeetha turned from him. “He’ll be here,” She told them, glanced down at the clear view of the Castle’s large gate, and took another small bite.

 

And fair enough, less than five minutes later, the group, sans Vanamonde, who had run off to deal with the mess the tourchmen had caused, spotted Gil with two others coming in from a side ally. They approached, surprisingly stealthily.

“I can carry something...”

“No way, as soon as I do you’re going to make a break for it and enter the Castle yourself.”

“… You have no proof of that.”

Zeetha poked him on the shoulder. Gil jumped and spun, his feet twisting under him. Zeetha narrowed her eyes at him and sniffed. He smelled faintly like alcohol. She frowned. He could have least had the decently to bring her one.

“Oh god, no,” Gil groaned as he caught sight of all of them.  “I’m not bringing all of you into a death trap.”

Zeetha shrugged. “Our choice.”

“Ah, _no_ , we’re using it as a prison, so no; it’s _not_ your choice—”

“Agatha told me to watch you,” Zeetha said blandly. She pointed behind her, “And that idiot, so we’re coming.” There was no way she was letting Gil in alone to meet Agatha.

Gil stared at her. She stared back. He threw his hands up in the air. “You know what, _fine_ , whatever, come die. Have fun.” He turned away grumbling.

Sleipnir nudged him on the shoulder. “Gil who are these people?”

Gil turned back with a pout. “The green haired girl and the cat are friends of Agatha’s, the fop is Sturmvoraus, he got sent home before either of you arrived and the reason this mess—”

“Reason, now wait one minute—”

“And the Airman is here to hold the hat.”

“Hat?”

Gil’s eyes widened and he jumped in front of Higgs. “Nothing, it’s nothing, there is no hat.” He stumbled slightly and looked wild. Everyone stared at him like he was the madman he only sometimes was, except Higgs that is, who could barely bother with a slight raise of an eyebrow of bemusement.

“Are you drunk?” Tarvek asked, incredulous.

“No… I only had that one bottle.”

“Ah… I may have upgraded that a little…”

Gil paused. “You’ve gotten subtler.”

“You’re planning on going into Castle Heterodyne _drunk_?”

“…Didn’t know it would get me drunk.” He glared over to Theo, who in all honestly, didn’t seem all there himself. He waved his hands when he realized he was being blamed.

“Hey, look that stuff goes through fast, you’ll be fine real soon,” he pulled out a vile from his coat. “And when you are, I have a hangover elixir right here… you’re probably going to need it.”

Gil glowered and attempted to snatch the elixir from his hand. Theo dodged and tucked it back into his coat. “Nope. You can have it once we’re all inside.”

“Can we just _go_ now,” Krosp interrupted before any more stupidity could follow. “And stop wasting time.”

Gil, while giving Theo the evil eye, shook his head. “I need an audience if I’m going to be sure nobody is going to attempt to follow my father’s orders while he’s out.” He glanced around; already a couple of people were giving the group strange looks. “But how—”Gil’s thoughtful frown slowly morphed into an excited grin as he looked at Zeetha who shifted nervously. “Yesss— A fight would do it...”

Zeetha blinked once. “Hmm?”

“What gets a crowd going faster than a fight,” Gil explained, thinking back to his days in Paris, and then took a step back, raising a stern and comical finger to her.  “Do not fear, I, Gilgamesh Wulfenbach,” he roared, “will enter Castle Heterodyne to find and defend the Heterodyne Girl with my _life!_ ”

Zeetha stared as honey dripped down onto her hand. People were really staring now. Tarvek and Violetta had snuck back into the shadows some, and even Krosp and Higgs had backed away.

Gil widened his eyes and tried to silently urge her to play along. “There is no need to endanger yourself to such a place. In fact, I _insist_ you stay outside and leave matters to the _professionals!_ If you try I will be forced to fight you in a loud and crowd gathering manner!”

Zeetha stared and then rolled her eyes. The crowd ohhed as she took her last bite, scrapping the snail off its skewer, and then twirling it in her fingers. “Indim…” she sighed, looking amused. With a profession flick of her fingers her skewer snapped towards Gil, landing right between his feet. The crowd ahhed.  “ _Fine_.”

She unsheathed her swords in a flourish, her cloak flapping from the movement. The crowd cheered and began to circle up. “ _I’ll_ win. I’ll tie you up and carry you to Agatha myself. You’ll be easier to watch that way.”

The crowd snickered. Gil made a face and accepted a large cylinder tool from Sleipnir. Zeetha’s eye’s narrowed and subconsciously she put herself into a more serious stance. He wasn’t planning on _shooting_ at her was he?

“How about instead _I_ win, and then you stay out here where it’s _safe_.” He raised the gun, Zeetha’s body jerked to the side as if to dodge but instead he fired all it had into the air. Zeetha flinched warily at the heat puffed against her with each shot.

“ _What_ , is the big _scary_ swordswoman afraid of a little boom?” Gil teased. “I wasn’t aiming at you, just letting people know there’s a show.” Above him fireworks snapped. Zeetha glared darkly.

Gil realized he may have gone too far and backpedaled. This was supposed to be a play fight. “Alright, alright, no death rays—” Theo handed him something and he grinned— “But get a load of my hand-cranked runcible gun!”

He turned the crank and a stream of sporks flew out.

Zeetha smirked and swung her sword in an arc in the air. Gil found himself having to weave and dodge his own sporks.

“Okay so maybe I should have realized I was drunk,” Gil muttered. “Ow, ow—screw this,” he threw aside the weapon and glanced back to where Zeetha had been—except she was gone. All that was left was Krosp and Higgs staring wide-eyed upwards. He lunged backwards just in time to miss a boot to his head. Zeetha followed.

For a moment she was actually having fun, as they kicked and lunged, and flipped backwards several times. Most of her playful hits missing, but a few getting a graze here or there. It had been too long since she had a chance to play fight.

Then Gil slapped something to her back and the good feeling was gone. Zeetha scrambled to try and reach the small of her back. “Cheater!” Zeetha yelped as it was the first thing that popped into her head. “What!”

“Nothing serious,” Gil said with a smile. “Just one of Dr. Prometheus Bunbury’s ‘Jolly Dun Oxidation Enhancers.’ If you don’t toss aside those swords, in five seconds they’re going to go poof.

Zeetha glared at him and tossed her swords straight up where they spun in two glittering arcs, not willing to lose her gift. Then her eyes went wide as something suddenly occurred to her. There was indeed a poof right after. A poof as Zeetha was suddenly covered in dust and fibers as her cloak, jacket, and other clothing disintegrated into nothing.

Gil blushed, looking away before he could get a good look. “…U-unless I used the ‘Wacky Weave Destabilizer’ instead, which is possible since they all looks so much alike but—” He was interrupted as Zeetha’s swords clashed into the cobble. ”Zeetha…” He peeked through his fingers, embarrassed, only to drop his hand when he realized she was still covered in all the important bits by thin leather armor.

She was also not moving. Her eyes were wide, wild, and watery. Her scar and the collar were prominent on her neck. Concern and guilt bit at him

“Zeetha…”

She snapped free like a cadged animal and shook her head widely, her hair flying everywhere into a big tangled mess. “K-kar—you think i-it’s ‘kay t-to just _declothe_ someone!” She stuttered, her words slurring strangely, as if she was struggling to make the right sounds. She snatched her swords from the ground and stalked towards him.

Gil’s eyes went wide and he held up his hands in a panicked attempt to placate her. “What! No—of c-course not. I d-didn’t mean to-to—ah, it was supposed to get rid of _metal_ , not _clothes!_ ”

Zeetha paused right in front of him. “Metal—that supposed to be _better?_ ” She roared, somehow even madder. She swung her sword at him. He dodged with room to spare but it didn’t make him feel any better. “You could have _killed_ me!” She jerked her neck, the collar shifted, and Gil was reminded of the tampering safety. He gulped.

“It may have set you free,” he tried.

Zeetha snorted, attempting to sign through her swords twice before remembering to speak. “Would it? _Fast_ enough?”

“I—um—that’s a very good question” Gil admitted as he took several steps back. “Maybe latter we can test it… safely… without any deaths…including mine.”

Zeetha glared heavily at Gil, in a way that almost reminded him of his father at his angriest, before finally turning away from him and to Theo and Sleipnir, who he had backed into. Theo began to sweat as he realized she was now glaring at him.

“Your coat,” She demanded flatly, sheathing a sword and holding out a hand.

“Why _his_ coat?” Sleipnir defended with her own protective glare.

Zeetha gave her a glance out of the corner of her eye, and then looked back at Theo. “It came from _his_ bag. Now _coat_.”

Theo sweated as Sleipnir turned her glare on him. He quickly unbuttoned his coat and handed it to her.

“Theo …dear, just _why_ did you have that…”

“Uh… you see…um.”

Zeetha tuned them out and shrugged the too large coat on. Carefully she buttoned the top of it, from the top bottom of the collar to hide her neck, down to her navel. She left the rest opened so she could reach her swords. She felt ridiculous but at least she was covered.

“Well you have your audience,” Tarvek told Gil as he appeared at his side. His voice was a strange mix of disproval and amusement. Gil shot him a sulky look and then gazed out at the crowd. It was large at least, and quite a few of them were soldiers, as he had hoped for, news would definitely get back to Boris, and eventually his father.

Still, that was not what he wanted the crowd to see. He was never going to hear the end of this from Father.

Gil sighed but straightened and snatched up the invisibility device that he had connected to his lighting wand. He ignored Tarvek’s look of curiosity. If he didn’t work fast soldiers who would actually detain him would show.

Zeetha ignored Gil’s showboating as she shifted her shoulders.  She was itchy; the device had dissolved her underwear as well as her top layers, meaning that threads were stuck between her skin and the armor. It was beginning to chaff.

Uncomfortable and annoyed Zeetha allowed herself a smirk in delight as the crowd threw coins at Gil as if he was some common busker. Served him right for making everything so _… ridiculous_.

“No! No! This wasn’t a _show_. I’m serious.”

The crowd laughed. “What’s your name kid?”

Gil squared his shoulders. “I’m Gilgamesh Wulfenbach. I’m the Baron’s son.”

The crowd stared at him. Then erupted with howls of laughter’s. Someone pointed at Krosp. “I get it, and that’s the Baron’s dog!”

“Yeah and that’s the Baron’s daughter,” another snorted, pointing at Zeetha who choked and glanced up wide eyed.

“And those are you oafish minions!” Theo and Sleipnir glanced around before realizing they were being pointed at.

“Yeah, and you’re the gosh-darn Storm King.” Zeetha could feel Tarvek’s sulk from here, but she was more concerned with the look on Gil’s face. It was the same look that was putting the crowd into stitches, many of them collapsing to the ground in laughter.

Then, suddenly, Gil threw his head up and laughed. “That’s right folks!” he turned, rising his lightning wand into the air, it glowed a soft blue in the shadows of the night. Zeetha caught herself looking away and glanced back. He leaped up a few stairs, turned back to the crowd and waved.

“So follow me! The second act is just about to start!” And with that he bounded up the stairs.

Theo and Sleipnir stopped their “discussion” just in time to glance at each other and then at Gil. “Uh-oh…” They muttered as one before dashing after him. The rest of the group also made to follow after the madboy before the crowd could block them off. As they did so, Airman Higgs ambled up from where he had made himself scarce.

“Nice moves,” he remarked to Zeetha.

For some reason, the fact that Higgs in particular had witnessed the whole performance—up to and including the attempted undressing—caused Zeetha’s face to blush profusely. The squirmy, uncomfortable knot that had tightened in her gut earlier tightened even more, but then loosened considerably as Higgs, to her relief, proceeded to make no further comment on anything, let alone the last half of the show.

Zeetha made her sign for get moving, or in this case, come on. “Can’t let him get to far ahead.”

 

Gil didn’t take kindly to the guards telling him no, though his maniacal grin remained, and the resulting explosion had driven everyone to the ground.

Well, almost everyone, Zeetha mused, as she rose, brushing off burning bits of the doorway with fingers that were only trembling _slightly_. She glanced out of the corner of her eye at Higgs who hadn’t even flinched as everyone had taken cover, and even now simply waited patiently.

It wasn’t hard to do as she had, quite reasonably, from her experience with the gifted, jumped back several feet as Gil’s wand had sparked, before diving for the ground.

“Are we all listening now?” Gil asked pleasantly through roaring madboy harmonics. “Good! _I_ , Gilgamesh _Wulfenbach_ am now entering _the Castle_ to aid the _true_ Heterodyne heir!”

One of the cowering guards stared up at him, barely daring to speak. “You…you’re really him…but you can’t be…”

Gil glared down at him. “I don’t know what I have to do to prove it to you people—”

Zeetha quirked an eyebrow as Higgs stepped closer to the raving madboy.

She snickered silently as she watched him gently plop the hat upon Gil’s head.

Her snickers actually gained sound as he turned the hat’s nob and using his pipe set light to the flame.

As Higgs stood back, and calmly struck a theatrical pose, Zeetha, to her own amazement, managed to swallow her guffaws so she could join in with Theo, Sleipnir, and Krosp as they followed suit with what was probably too much enthusiasm.

Dignity must have beat out on being a part of humiliating Gil since Tarvek, and such also Violetta, didn’t join. They stood back, somewhat pretending to be part of the crowd. Even so Zeetha was sure Tarvek was currently attempting to hide his mirth. That thought left a jolt of sourness on her mood. She frowned.

She looked out into the crowd as they awed, finally, and to Gil’s dismay, in recognition. An idea struck her. She stepped forward, catching bemusement from Higgs out of the corner of her eye, opened her arms—

And proceeded to speak more than she had in the last three years.

There were lots of gestures too.

Her throat hurt horribly by the end.

It was _so_ worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a random fun fact but when writing this I couldn't help but realize that my mental picture of right after Zeetha loses her clothes and storms up to Gil kind of parallels to Anevka after she kills her father. In that I imagine puff of soot and ash/ threads and dust to be puffing off them as they do so. I didn't really put that in, mostly as I can't find to good of a reason for the scenes to narratively parallel each other as they are so different, from motive to reason to character. They wok a little better as foils but not that much either. Anyway I thought I would share regardless.


	14. In Which Everyone Splits Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a busy tomorrow so I figured I'd post this now and not risk being late. Hope everyone enjoys.

“She’s mad at me,” Gil sulked as he dragged his feet through Castle Heterodyne’s entrance hall.

Tarvek at his side grimaced. “Mad at us.”

“Huh?”

“You don’t know what those gestures meant…”

The two shared a rare look of solidarity. Higgs, who was walking at Gil’s heel, lip twitched, but otherwise he followed dutifully. Violetta wasn’t so kind and was still openly snickering.

Zeetha walked a little ahead with Theo and Sleipnir. She had a sore throat, but a hop in her step. Completely satisfied by the chaos she had root, she followed the other’s lead in stepping lightly.

As they walked, even while being vigilant for traps, Zeetha found her gaze drawn to the architecture and decorations around her. It was nearly impossible not to. The Heterodyne’s had put a lot of effort into it, for Intimidation, distraction, pride or some mashup of all of them she didn’t know. Whatever the reason it’s unique style was very eye catching.

Amongst trilobites and statues of screaming forms there was a lot of skulls around, and Zeetha felt a slight pang as she slowed to take them in. Her mother had a fascination with skulls. The greeting throne had always had a few, mostly of warriors who wished to continue their duty beyond their life, to intimidate the Dark Land’s leaders, but if had been her mother who had added them to the home throne… and her office… and her bedroom.

Zeetha’s earliest memory was of playing unperturbed amongst the skulls at her mother’s feet as she excoriated some ambassador or another.

She missed her, her mother. She… probably thought her dead… the rest of Skifander would, happily, the Notwan gone.

“See something you like?” Higgs asked as he caught her gaze.

Zeetha’s focus snapped back in time for her to skip over a tile that she was pretty sure was a trap. A glance around showed her that she had slowed so much that Gil and the others had caught up. Not wanting to be by themselves, Theo and Sleipnir seemed to have followed suite. “Nothing. Just—” something about Higgs quiet curiosity pushed her along despite her urge to keep Skifander in the shadows. “Reminds me of home.”

“Castle Heterodyne reminds you of home?”

Zeetha made a face as she realized that most would find that an unkind comparison for her to make. Though Higgs seemed neither disgusted nor concerned, just vaguely curious and maybe a little surprised. That was… nice, and Zeetha found herself continuing.

“Yes?”

Zeetha glanced around again, the dark stonework and morbid imagery, made worse is the dim red lighting, was very much _not_ Skifandrian, but grand statues of past members, weapons on display (Though the ones here looked metal instead of stone or wood), her mother and her skulls.

She shrugged. “Some? More than Stumhulten…” She dodged a dart and eyed the shadow it had disappeared into. Stumhulten castle and Heterodyne castle were also very different, but it was clear to her that they had some very notable similarities. Zeetha rolled her eyes. She paused, and then quieter added. “Mother liked skulls.”

“Well excuse us for being more subtle in our decorations,” Tarvek said, disgruntled as he glared at a painting of a dying man with a shock of red hair.

Zeetha snorted. Subtle, _right_. She flapped a sarcastic hand in his direction and didn’t bother to look at his responding expression. Instead she glanced around again. They were finally approaching the end of the horrendously large entrance hall, and now had several choices of doors to go through—

“GIL! Is that _you_?”

Zeetha didn’t see Tarvek and Violetta leave, but she felt it, a brief breeze against her back, and a glance behind her proved they were gone. She frowned. Her eyes gazed upwards, sliding from one side of the high arched rafters, sweeping past cross beams decorated with skulls, fanged beast reliefs, and of course trilobites, to the other. No sign of them, but plenty of shadows for them to hide.

Her gaze fell farther and she found the originator of the cry: a woman of bright hair and an even brighter outfit, surrounded by men with strange guns wearing very tall hats, and a portly man in worn and bloodied clothes. It wasn’t hard to guess who she was. Zeetha had learned from Anevka the importance Europa ladies placed in matching clothing and accessories, and nothing said that more than a matching outfit and airship.

“Zola!” Gil sputtered.

“Oh Gil, it _is_ you!” Zola lunged forward and clung to his vest only to then launch herself away in a rage. “Gilgamesh Holzfaller, you _idiot_!” She screamed. “I told you! Didn’t I! Didn’t I tell you?” She attempted to punch him in the arm, which Gil blocked with ease still looking stunned. She switched tactics with a huff and sharply kicked him in the shins. “I told you to shape up, you dope.”

Gil made a brief face; he just couldn’t win today could he. It fell as to his astonishment he noticed tears in Zola’s eyes. Guilt swelled up in his stomach even though he still had no idea what she was on about.

“Even back in Paris I could see that you were heading for a bad end! And now—!” She waved her arm towards a rather grotesque example of a unicorn. “Here you are in Castle Heterodyne! Caught like a common thug.”

“Actually,” Gil remarked, “to get here, you have to be a pretty uncommon thug.”

Zola punched him again and smiled lovingly up at him. “Well I guess I finally get to help you out for once!” The thought obviously cheered her up. “And I can do it too! Because…” she paused. “I am the Lady Heterodyne! Surprised?”

Gil made an effort to close his mouth, and was still half expecting a bang of some cymbals or a toot of a horn as he finally choked out, “more than you can imagine.” Behind him the rest of the group stared blankly, even Higgs had paused from refilling his pipe with more tobacco.

Zola clapped her hands once. “Ha! And you thought I was just another chorus girl!”

Gil flashed back to his days in Paris. “No,” he said picking his words carefully. “I never thought you _just_ a chorus girl.”

Zola looked fond. “Well, perhaps not you, you were always so nice, but everyone else did! Little did they know that _I_ had a secret.” She spun on her toe and hugged herself in delight. “But now they’ll all see how wrong they were. When I rule Europa everyone will see—”

Suddenly she stopped, staring over Gil’s shoulder at the rest of the party. Zeetha didn’t like the change of minute expression that flashed through her body. “These people don’t look like prisoners.” Her tone was dull and careful, a strike difference from the bubbly excitement of before.

Professor Tiktoffen coughed into a hand. Zola glanced at him, as did everyone else. “They’re not. I’ve never seen any of them before.”

“Gil…?” Zola said slowly, turning back to stare into his eyes. Yes, Zeetha decided as she watched from over Gil’s shoulder, there was something dangerous there, though how much of it was scale and how much of it was venom she couldn’t tell. “What’s going on?”

Gil threw up his hands. “All right! All _right_! Zola, you’re not the only one who had a secret back in Paris—”

 

Pirate. Zeetha didn’t fully understand what the term even meant, beyond that they were a group that killed, looted, and enslaved, and all _that_ came from experience. She knew Gil’s excuses had been a spur of a moment feint but bringing it up at all had thrown Zeetha years back. Zola’s easy acceptance, while handy, wasn’t all that comforting. She though the Empire didn’t tolerate slavery, but Gil had hung out with a pirate? Did not all pirates sell slaves? Was she completely confusing what a pirate actually was? Was it actually just a group of people and she had run into a bad bunch?

She didn’t like being confused. When one was confused one made mistakes, but telling people when you were confused often was a mistake in itself.

She probably should have raided the Stumhulten library more often, even if Latin letters were such a pain.

Zeetha’s mind continued down that train of thought as she travelled with their now expanded group. Gil was up front a bit, with Zola, the portly prisoner, and one of her guards, but not far enough that she couldn’t hear what they were saying. Most of which was Gil urging Zola’s plan from her, while also defending his father’s empire. Zeetha figured that if Tarvek was still around he was fuming. That thought almost brought a smile to her face.

“That green-harried girl seems… possessive… she keeps watching me.” Zola stated quietly but not quite enough that Zeetha didn’t catch it. Zeetha’s almost-smile dropped. She purposefully kept her eyes down, cursing herself, this was the second time today she had been caught watching, but continued to listen.

“You and she aren’t—” Zeetha made a face. Eww, no.

Gil seemed to agree. “No!” He glanced back with enough disturbance on his face that Zeetha figured she should probably feel offended, but couldn’t. “No—” He paused as if reaching for the right words. “She’s just one of those that don’t trust easily, you know, but once they do their over loyal and protective.” His voice trailed up at the end, as if it was more of a question than a statement, but Zola seemed to buy it. She glanced back at Zeetha, who was watching through a mane of hair, with a look that had a touch of pity. Zeetha wrinkled her nose at the ground.

“Oh Gil, you’re just as clueless as always.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” she assured him patting his arm. Then she raised her voice. “Monsieur Zero, a little discretionary space, _please?_ ”

The man nodded and with a wave two of the soldiers forced the rest of the group to a halt, while he continued forward with Gil and Zola. After they had walked several paces ahead he waved again and they were allowed to follow. Zeetha crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. It wasn’t far, but as long as their voices were low, and they stayed in front of Zeetha, she was cut off.

She hated secrets, and she wasn’t sure if Gil would tell her later if she asked.

Sleipnir poked Zeetha after they had walked a little further. In a low whisper she asked, “Where’d Gil’s hat go?” Zeetha couldn’t help but smile despite her poor mood. As soon as it was obvious, or perhaps even just before then, that Gil was hiding who he was, Higgs had whisked the hat away. Zeetha had been impressed, if she hadn’t looked in his direction to hide a rolling of her eyes, she wouldn’t have seen it at all. One moment it was in his hands, the next his hands had been in his pockets as if they had always been there.

She had also noted where it was stored, a small little alcove she hadn’t seen beforehand. Once this was all over she was determined to show Agatha.

 “He ditched it,” Zeetha murmured back, glancing quickly at the airman who walked next to her. He didn’t seem to hear them. “When Pinkie showed up.”

“Wow.”

Zeetha’s lip curled up into a soft smile and she nodded once.

 

“Okay—so I think I get it, but uh…” Gil started. “What about—”

“Stumhulten,” Zola interrupted as if she’d been expecting it. “That wasn’t me. It was some fake girl making a mess of things. Everything had to be rushed and rearranged to be ready because of _her_ ,” Zola scowled. “She must of known about me though, didn’t want a Heterodyne back, those rumors she’s started are going to be such a mess to deal with—but we have plans in place already to start neutralizing them.”

“Ah.” Gil said, as he had nothing else to say, his mind whirling with information. From Zola and her sponsor’s plan which was doomed to fail for many reasons, but had been put together intelligently which was always worrisome, to Zola’s acute view of him as heir. If that was anything like Europa as a whole saw him he really needed to do something as soon as he could.

At that moment there was a strangled scream from Professor Tiktoffen. Zeetha jumped and pulled out her swords eyes flashing to the shadows.

“Everyone,” he shouted as he ran towards the door. “Out of this room!”

But before he could make more than a few steps, a massive steel shutter slammed down. “Welcome” The voice was barely more than a whimper. “Repairs… here.”

“Huh,” remarked Higgs with a faint bit of surprise as he glanced over at it.

At the same time Theo looked wildly around. “Who... what was that?”

Zeetha shrugged, and then thought better of it. “The Castle?” She glanced around again and then put her swords away.

Zola marched over to Tiktoffen, who had collapsed in despair, and kicked his huddled form. “What is happening, Professor?”

Tiktoffen couldn’t even manage a flinch as the foot connected. “I didn’t know where we were. This door has never led to this room before.” He gestured glumly towards the shadows and the others realized that the lumps they had been stepping around were actually wizened corpses.

“This is one of those rooms that are too damaged but the systems won’t take no for an answer.” His leaden voice echoed amongst the shadows of great machinery. “We’ve been pressganged.”

Zeetha blinked. She hadn’t heard that one before. “Huh,” she muttered more to herself than anything.

She hadn’t expected anyone to answer, but Higgs leaned over anyway. “Grabbed for forced labor.”

Gil glanced around at the machinery that lined one of the walls. Zeetha could tell the exact moment the Spark awoke from his posture, though when he turned back around his voice was still even. “Then we’ll just have to fix it.”

Tiktoffen snorted. “This isn’t an oil change, young man. This needs a stronger Spark then I have ever had in here.”

Gil’s smile was just too wide to be considered Spark-free. “I like a challenge.”

 

There were plenty of tools around, though scattered amongst the corpses, and Gil quickly ordered Zola’s guards into collecting them. They hesitated, but at Zola’s, who was gazing up dreamily at Gil, snap to get moving they scurried off.

Theo and Sleipnir happily followed Gil into the Spark, or well Theo did. Zeetha still hadn’t decided about Sleipnir, she acted quite a bit like a Spark, but didn’t quite manage it. Zeetha figured she would likely breakthrough eventually and dropped the thought there. Even Tiktoffen, after Gil got really into it and dropped some of his “pretending to not be Sparking out right now” act, followed suit, letting out streams of ideas that Gil shot down one after the other.

There wasn’t much she could help with, other than moving the bodies into a corner with the help of Higgs and a few dusty sheets, and she soon found herself sitting back and watching. Higgs leaned on the wall nearby, smoking and seeming unconcerned as always. At this point she had expected as much from him.

Zola was Gil’s constant shadow. That couldn’t be healthy with the work he was doing and the Spark he thrummed with, but Zeetha couldn’t bring it in to herself to care. As long as she didn’t get to in his way, or do anything stupid that got someone hurt, she would let her be. She was, after all, supposed to be watching Gil.

That reminded her of Tarvek and how he was who knows where. She scowled. She was supposed to be watching _both_ of them. What would Agatha think? Stupid Smoke Knight tricks. Stupid Sturmvoraus’ who always seemed to need to be hiding something, be it a secret or themselves.

Zeetha glanced up at the ceiling, but at this point she was fairly certain that he and Violetta hadn’t followed them in and gotten trapped as well. Knowing the idiot he had decided to find Agatha on his own. Oh well, at least if he did Zeetha bet he was destined for a lecture for slipping his assigned guard.

Zeetha sighed. At least he had another guard with him, as he was injured. She made it a point not to trust anyone with hair like Tarvek’s, or was related to him at all really, but from the short time she had spent with Violetta she was pretty sure, at the very least, Tarvek wouldn’t die from her. She had been semi-willing to put herself between him and a rabid Gil and that meant quite a lot.

So Zeetha just had to hope whatever Tarvek got up to while she was stuck here, it wasn’t too stupid.

 

Zeetha didn’t like being a guard. She had never really did, long stretches of not moving was only her thing when she _wanted_ it to be her thing. As a Princess Guardian one of her duties was guarding the War Queen, but that was a rare job to have, and considering the War Queen was her mother, it was generally pretty entertaining regardless. Her mother only ever had her guard during deals with the outside world, be it Dark Lands or further, which often meant fights or at least lots of yelling to watch; formal functions, which started boring but often turned into a giant party; or when she specifically asked for one, usually her, which often meant the two of them could talk.

But after the last four years, Zeetha was _so_ done with the whole standing around and doing nothing thing, especially when there wasn’t even anything interesting to watch. Spark work stopped being fascinating quickly when you were raised by a strong Spark.

Unfortunately, Agatha had asked, and there was nothing left for her to do. Maybe if Gil could explain what he was doing in Skiff she may be able to help some, she had certainly spent enough time in her mother’s lab, she wasn’t ignorant if uninterested, but the chance of that happening was practically none. Would be none if she wasn’t so sure who his father was.

So she was left leaning next to the Airman, who she couldn’t even attempt to talk to since he seemed to have dozed off in his upright position. At least she was pretty sure he was asleep. She had watched him long enough, just to be sure of course and because she had nothing better to do. There _was_ something off about him so it was best to be certain.

Zeetha realized she was staring at him again and huffed, her gaze climbing to the cobwebbed choked roof. He was an enigma. He knew Mamma and… he either was far faster than he looked, or was important enough that the Jägers would avoid hitting him, even after he had helped her by whacking a few with a chair, something that had pulled her into the fight quickly.

He was a Wulfenbach Airman, but had been in the Mamma’s bar. Gil said he should be heavily injured, which meant he had been given Battledraught. Gil had been given Battledraught because they believed he could handle it, she had been given Battledraught because she was close enough to their Heterodyne to be useful but far enough to be expendable. So why had he gotten the honor, just because of a _favor_ , even with the risk?

He went through life with a sleepy expression. Explosions didn’t faze him even as they sent everyone else to cover. He emoted so subtly that he was difficult to read most times. He was hiding _something_. She hadn’t the slightest idea what that was.

He was potentially dangerous, which made him interesting. It also gave her every excuse to continue keeping an eye on him. So she would.

Zeetha rolled her eyes at herself, even if it was the truth, and glanced around the room. They had been here for hours now. Most of the group had already collapsed from exhaustion. Zola had been second to Zeetha’s not-so-surprise, beaten only by Krosp; her guards had fared little better. A couple hours after that Sleipnir had made her own space, and since she last checked she could see Theo had finally stumbled over and curled up with her.

Heh, they were cute.

Zeetha eyes left them and looked over to the two people left awake. Tiktoffen, who looked dead on his feet, and Gil, who looked as if he just started. Don’t need to sleep much, she remembered Mamma saying, and her eyes narrowed in thought as Tiktoffen went to fetch something from the pile of tools only to suddenly use it as an impromptu pillow.

No better time to ask then now.

She kicked herself off the wall, Higgs not stirring beside her, and strolled over to Gil. He was completely oblivious to her arrival, which had her clucking her tongue, to busy playing with… Zeetha froze. She knew what that was. That was one of Agatha’s little clanks.

“Where did you get that?”

Gil jumped and swiveled his head to stare up at her while he held the small clank away from him to avoid its flailing limbs. “Where’s Tiktoffen?”

Zeetha nudged her head slightly, and he turned his just enough to see Tiktoffen sleeping on his bed of tools. Zeetha leaned a shoulder against an intruding part of the machine and stared down at Gil, her body partially boxing him in. She crossed her arms. “We’re the only ones left awake.”

“I see,” Gil said warily.

Zeetha gaze softened a little as she stared at the little leashed clank, and hardened when she returned it to Gil. “So, _where?”_

He mused for a bit and then shrugged. “Stumhulten. I’m assuming you’ve seen it before?”

Zeetha nodded as she eyed the clank again. It made a puffy angry noise and turned away from her. She winced, but wasn’t surprised. She had been fully caught up in Tarvek’s mess back then. “She made many, they would hum to keep her, her. Worked for a while.”

“So it stopped working,” Gil asked biting his lip.

Zeetha glanced out of the corner of her eye and shrugged. “The big her still worked, maybe just to tired? Was running on no sleep. Lots of drugs”

Gil frowned down at the still struggling clank as he considered this, and then looked up at her. “Are you okay… you’re less eloquent than you were earlier?”

Zeetha stared at him for a long time. Then with a sigh she turned to lean heavily on the machine, slumping. “Long day,” Was what she gave him. She didn’t know how to explain it any other way. How there had been something in her that kept her from speaking Romanian for three years, even when she wanted too. How even now sometimes words just didn’t want to come, or came strangely. How when things got… difficult it got worse. Nor really, did she want to if she could, not to him, not to anyone.

Maybe her mother had she been here, but she _wasn’t_.

Zeetha closed her eyes and tried to will the homesickness away. What she would give to have her mother here.

Gil’s eyes narrowed, but his voice was soft. “Why haven’t you gone to sleep like the others then? I should be done soon but…” He trailed off at the shake of her head.

“Don’t need to sleep,” she explained, eyeing him from the corner of her eye. “Ancient technique, good for a few more days, sleep at all will be hard at all for at least another.” She tilted her head slightly in question. “You?” She urged, paying extra attention on keeping her voice conversational.

He shrugged. “My father taught me a few mental exercises.” He paused and considered that, then turned back to Zeetha who had already glanced away. “Could he have learned them from your mother?”

“Possible,” Zeetha replied as she eyed the ceiling. Only as a Zumil, she added to herself as she closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath she re-opened them and turned back to Gil, gaze serious. “Zola?”

“Huh,” Gil blinked.

“Who, what, how?” Zeetha waved a hand in the vague direction of the sleeping diva.

Gil sighed and turned so he could also rest his back on the machine. “She was a dancer.”

Zeetha’s eyebrow rose and she stared at him blankly.

“And a singer. I met her on my first day in Paris. She was always getting mixed with some Sparky sap or another with plans to change the world. And within a few months I had saved her from—” He started listing out a couple examples, frowned, and then gave up. “And a dozen other inevitable failures. After that she was just someone I knew.”

Zeetha made a face. “Annoying.”

Gil shrugged. “Well I was never bored around her at least.” His slight grin fell and he pondered the floor. “But then she was gone. Her bills all paid, her stuff taken away, I figured she had gotten married and wouldn’t want anyone from her old life to butt in.”

His eyes drifted over the pink form not too far away. Even in sleep she hovered by him. “And now she’s back and the Heterodyne.”

Zeetha snorted. “She isn’t.”

Gil rolled his eyes. “Yes, I know that.” His frown deepened. “But I’m afraid she doesn’t. In every plan that she got herself into, she was always convinced she was indispensable.”

There was a slight ding, and he looked to his hand. Zeetha glanced over to find the pouting clank staring up at him. He muttered something and swiveled in his place to let the clank into a small opening in the machine. “All the stuff she’s told me, I’m sure that’s the plan as she knows it, but I’m just as sure she knows absolutely nothing about the real plan, and I’m convinced they’ll kill her as soon as they can. She’s a liability now. She knows enough to rat them out.”

Zeetha frowned at the girl and shook her head. “Doesn’t make sense.”

“Huh?”

“Who is she?” She swallowed. “They wouldn’t use anyone for such a part. She can’t _just_ be your dancer.”

Gil shook his head. “A plan spearheaded by Tarvek’s family, of course they would use a pasty. It’s dangerous; they had to know that there was a big chance of failure. It they used anyone father knew was part of their family. They would have no chance to pretend they weren’t involved in that case.”

Zeetha considered this, but it still didn’t feel right. “She’s dangerous,” she added, remembering Zola’s sudden change of body language, her piercing, observant gaze. She hadn’t even noticed it at all before then. People weren’t born that good at hiding their thoughts.

Gil straight out snorted. “To herself sure, and maybe as a catalyst, but otherwise… well I’m sure she’d like to think she was.”

Zeetha rubbed at the bridge of her nose, a stress headache long in the making causing her eyes to ache. “Still wrong. She flips too much in actions.”

“She did always fancy herself an actress,” Gil said distractedly, eyes peeking into the small opening in the machine. “And she disappeared less than a year after I met her. That would be three years of training.” He did pause at that, considering it. “I don’t know exactly what that would entail to be fair, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they taught her how to act scary and Sparky, convince her that she would need to act the part to get the trust of the townspeople and what not, and _still_ managed to convince her she was _actually_ a Heterodyne.”

Zeetha shook her head, but Gil wasn’t looking at her and the conversation dropped. Instead she stared at the girl in question, musing over what Gil had told her, and what she knew from living in Stumhulten. She supposed it wasn’t completely crazy. It made sense to have a fall guy, but at the same time the people she had been chained too weren’t known for using outside help. Sure for small parts, but for something as big as the Heterodyne girl, who would continue acting her part for _years_ as far as Zeetha could guess. It seemed strange.

Then again, maybe Zola really was all scale and no venom. From what Gil had told her she sounded like nothing more than exhausting.

“Castle Heterodyne is dangerous,” Gil continued as he fed more chain into the machine. “If it wasn’t for her guards I doubt she would be alive now, she was always good at getting into trouble but she could never get herself out of it. I can’t just let her die here.” He sighed. “I don’t like having one more thing to worry about, but since when was that new.”

“Indim.” She muttered, gazing half-lidded to the ceiling.

Gil shifted beside her. “What?”

“Sounds like Idiot.”

“Well sure, but she was never a malicious one.”

Zeetha allowed her head to drop to gaze at him. She still had doubts on that, but she pushed them aside. “Does it matter?” She said instead. Idiot or not, Zola was an adult, or at least Zeetha figured she was. If she kept getting into these messes without learning that was on her. And in any case, she was currently an enemy of his empire, of Agatha.

Gil made a strange, almost angry face. One that made Zeetha flinch back and reminded her she still couldn’t trust this boy, no matter that she wished she could. “Oh heaven yes, if I let _everyone_ I thought was an idiot _die_ there wouldn’t be many people _left_.”

Zeetha eyed him cautiously and shifted herself into a better, less open position. She wasn’t entirely sure how to take his words, but decided for now it was just best to decide the two saw idiocy differently.

The look was gone almost as soon as it arrived, which was just as concerning, his face brightening in an instant as the dingbot pulled itself from the machine and let out a few dings. “Aha! I knew you could do it!” He said in glee as he tugged the dingbot back into his hands. Then he turned back to Zeetha. “Go wake up Theo, Sleipnir, Krosp and Higgs,” he ordered.

Zeetha eyed him. Last second she remembered to replace the automatic hum with words, though the hum still tinted it. “Why?”

“You’re leaving.”

The second time Zeetha didn’t remember, and let out a hum as she gestured roughly at the door. Gil didn’t seem to notice and turned back to back to the dingbot. Zeetha hesitated but turned and carefully made her way through the goons to Sleipnir and Theo, listening with half an ear as Gil had a hushed debate with the dingbot.

Zeetha eyed them for a second, and then leaned over, and covered both of their mouths with a hand before shaking their heads. They woke with a start, but there cry was muffled, and once they seemed to have gathered their wits she let them go, one hand traveling up to shush them, the other pointing to the door.

After that she slunk her way to Krosp who woke with sheer reluctance and complaints she didn’t bother to answer before heading over to Higgs, who to her surprise needed a good pinch before he even started on the path back to life despite the fact he was still standing. Zeetha paused long enough to give him a weird look before she headed back over to Gil, just in time to watch him get kicked in the nose by the dingbot before it made its bid to freedom.

“I’ll take that as a solid maybe,” Gil grumbled rubbing his nose.

Zeetha pulled at his sleeve. “Not coming?” she asked.

“No,” Gil replied. “Tiktoffen did a lot of talking tonight, Zola thinks she has something that can shut down the Castle…” he hesitated. Zeetha frowned. The Castle getting shut down would mean that Klaus no longer needed to destroy it, and some of the danger Agatha poised would be gone, and she could see the same thought process going through Gil’s head. Zeetha shifted slightly, a near unnoticeable change of stance that made her feel more rooted. It would also take away the little defense Agatha had, and possibly her only way to properly take over her title.

“—I’ll jolly her around a little more until she takes me to it,” he finally finished. “I’ll then be able to… disable it and keep an eye on Zola at the same time.”

Zeetha would give him credit for the disable, but she still felt leery. Disabled and destroyed were two different things, and making sure an enemy didn’t use a weapon on their terms didn’t mean one wasn’t going to use it on one’s own terms.

…But she didn’t have much choice; she highly doubted Gil would take well to her refusing to leave. At the moment she was just going to have to trust him, if only until she could get to Agatha and tell her about this device.

“What you need to do,” Gil continued with a scowl. “Is track down that sneaky weasel, I should have known he would flee as soon as a distraction presented itself, and then find Agatha—”

Zeetha was halfway through a nod when she realized he had cut himself off and was now looking sheepish. She tilted her head with a raised eyebrow.

“—Ah… when you do find her… could you maybe tell her that… I’m anxious to see her again so we can overcome our mutual obstacles.”

Zeetha stared. “No.”

“What?”

Zeetha rolled her eyes. “Bad. Try again.”

Gil looked confused. “Um… then tell her that I’m pretty sure I’m fond of her and if the feelings are mutual… and she’s not _too_ evil perhaps we can—Ow! Why are you hitting me! I love her and I want to help her!”

Zeetha pulled her hand back. She studied him before nodding. “That, maybe, I pass along.”

“But that’s so—”

“Hey the door’s opening!” Krosp whispered as he popped up on Gil’s other side.

Gil and Zeetha both looked at the door. Theo was already crouching down to take a good look. “This isn’t where we came in,” he muttered to Sleipnir who shrugged.

Higgs ambled up behind them, his hands once again in his pockets. “That lot’s probably going to get mad when they see we’re gone,” He mentioned turning his attention to Gil, while Zeetha turned to him. They hadn’t exactly been trying to keep their talk a secret, but they hadn’t been that loud either… well not until the end. It was lucky the goons and the princess seemed dead to the world. “Sure you don’t want me to stay with you, sir?”

“Why thank you Mister Higgs,” Gil said with legitimate surprise on his face. “I appreciate the offer, but my plan will work best if you are all gone. I’m planning on telling them you all mutinied and knocked me out. I only have one more thing to do to fix up this part of the Castle, so I’ll need you to clear the door as soon as possible.”

“Ah.” Was all Higgs replied.

“It’s all clear,” Krosp hissed and Gil waved them off. Higgs was the last out and as he stood up Zeetha paused next to him. She had tried to brush it off, but it was bugging her.

“Mutini—?” she tried to ask as they took off in a random direction.

“When a group overthrows their leader,” he explained. Zeetha considered this as she looked back at the door briefly before a turn blocked it from view.

“Right,” Zeetha responded as she returned her attention to the front just in time to dodge a trap. Right. She didn’t have time to worry about him, she had to find Agatha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yeah, recently i finished the full outlines of the last couple of chapters, I still need to flesh them out but I'm that much closer to finishing the story and keeping any hiatus as short as possible. Which is good as I've been struggling to not get distracted by a thousand other projects I've been wanting to do.


	15. In Which Zeetha Explores The Castle

“So… where do we go now?”

They were a hall or two over from where they had left Gil when Sleipnir finally voiced the question. The group halted at it and glanced at each other and then around them. Halls led off into either darkness or red tinted shadows, and a multitude of doors were scattered about.

A moment of silence passed, Krosp sniffed the air as if it would help them figure out where to go, but still nobody suggested anything and instead glanced around as if hoping someone else would do so.

“What about that way?” Higgs finally offered pointing down a certain hall. Zeetha glanced down at it, the red lights were still working unlike some of the others, but otherwise it seemed to be just like all the rest, just with slightly different morbid décor.

“Why that one,” Krosp asked as he peeked as well.

The Airman shrugged, and then pointed behind him. The group glanced to see that not far down the hall ended with a window. “We’re at the edge of the Castle right, and Miss Heterodyne is likely to be further in …right?”

The group shared glances and then shrugged. It was better reasoning then any of them had come up with. “Worth a shot, we have nothing else to go on” Sleipnir finally said, and then smirked “At least until we start hearing explosions or—”

The group, save Higgs, jumped as a large zap echoed from down the way they came. Theo and Sleipnir glanced back. ~~~~

“Not that one,” Sleipnir corrected. “That came from where we left Gil.”

 “He’s probably okay,” Theo agreed. Zeetha glanced back at them, but they looked pretty sure, and then after another long moment of hesitation rolled her eyes and led their way into the hall.

They walked until they hit a crossroad, made a decision, and walked some more. For the most part they travelled in a relatively inward direction, though on more than one occasion, when coming across a hall that was either obviously trapped or else was covered in signs discussing the less obvious traps they took a detour. As Higgs said with a shrug, they’re sure to be other halls.

To be safe, Zeetha kept her hands near her hilts the whole time.

“Dose anyone else hear something?” Theo asked, breaking suddenly from his conversation with Sleipnir on a light fixture they had noticed several halls ago.

Zeetha nodded from up front. She had noticed it a little while ago, a low rumbling in the distance. “Gears?” She suggested.

“That… sounds entirely possible,” Theo mused. “From the damage outside we can see that some of the gears in this place are massive, to think some still might be moving.”

Zeetha hummed, but not in question, more in a “really now” tone as she slowed in front. The hall continued before her, but the last working light was only a couple feet ahead, and she couldn’t see any sign of light further along.

“We could turn back,” Sleipnir suggested. Instead Zeetha dug into her bag and grabbed her NOPET. Pressing a button she flicked the small wheel and a deceptively large cone of light spilled out. ”Or we could do that.”

“The other ways we found to go forward were either collapsed or we couldn’t figure a way around the traps.” Theo reminded.

“Yeah, and just because this path is dark it won’t be trapped,” Krosp argued.

Zeetha considered this and pressed a different button before flicking the wheel again. The bright white light shifted, diming and reddening until it was similar to the emergency lights they were already in. Then without letting go of the first button she pushed another, and with a final flick of the wheel a second bulb farther down the tool lit up.

Hiding the first light for a second with her thumb, Zeetha scanned the area with the second light and then turned back to the others. “Nothing recent, nothing suggestive.”

“Was that a blacklight,” Sleipnir asked. “Where did you get that?”

“Took it from Tarvek.”

“Most backlights won’t show blood,” Theo frowned.

“It dose—”

“Unless he used Professor Optical’s Sanguinem Oculus coating formula on the bulb,” he continued, lighting up. “In which case it would, but we wouldn’t be able to tell the stain from other ones, such as urine or se—”

“Unless he _also_ used Doctor Chromati’s Multicolo Mod figment,” Sleipnir butted in, looking just as excited as Theo. “In which case each different fluid would come up in a different tint!”

“And newer stains will be significantly brighter!”

“That’s simple but brilliant!”

Zeetha stared at them, and then her eyes trailed over to Higgs, who could only give her half a shrug, before she shook her head and turned back to the dark. She didn’t know half of what they were saying, but she did know that yes blood stains showed up, she had found that out during a trial run around Stumhulten with it, and hadn’t used the light again out of disgust and horror. And yes the stains that showed up came in more than one color. She didn’t know what all of them meant, but she did know which one was blood.

“Going,” She called out as she took a careful step forward, the two behind her sputtered as they jolted to catch up.

It was surprisingly dead. A few older stains clued her in on some traps, but some quick testing had her and Higgs (as the other two were still discussing blacklights for whatever reason) declaring them either dead or broken. From the lack of power, perhaps, or broken mechanisms in the wall.

Zeetha couldn’t help but think things were going too well as they continued their slow way forward. Sound was limited, other than the groaning in the distance. It was becoming quickly apparent that the majority, if not the entirety of this wing was dark. Maybe even cut off from power from the damage, that could explain the traps, but that seemed too easy—

“Ka! Von Mekkhan! Obinaz akhu!”

The entire group jumped, even Higgs, at the sudden words. Zeetha took a deep breath to calm her heart and glance around at the others. Krosp had landed on Theo’s back, and was now trying to play it off as on purpose, while Higgs glared at the ceiling, perhaps angry at it finally breaking his unflappable streak.

“Ve-pop? Ve-pop?”

Zeetha shook her head and looked up herself.

“Venaz pop? Veni shukhaz! Obinaz akhu!”

 “So what do we do?” Sleipnir asked when it became obvious it was neither going to stop or become understandable.

“Ignore it,” Zeetha suggested, aiming her light back down the hall.

“But—”

“I don’t think it can do anything to us.” She started back down the hall. Higgs following at her heel while the other two had to jog for a second to catch up, Krosp still on Theo’s back. The voice didn’t leave, or stop, but it eventually began to fade as they moved on.

They wandered some more, and it soon became apparent that they were heading into the more damaged regions of the Castle. This seemed like a good enough idea for Zeetha—more damage meant a greater chance at finding Agatha, but it also proved bothersome, collapsed hallways, missing floors, and on one occasion a spinning gear trap that was stuck on an infinite loop, limited their options a lot.

“Dead,” Zeetha reported back as her light shined on another collapsed ceiling halfway down a hall, using the term she had recently stolen from Theo.

“Are you sure, this is pretty much our last option unless you want to try climbing down one of the collapsed floors.” Sleipnir sighed.

Theo glanced back the way they had come. “The other hall’s floor was unstable, we could break it and look down that way?”

“And attract everything in this wing of the Castle?” Krosp questioned blandly.

Zeetha took a step as the three talked, Higgs following at her heel as he had been for a while now, and moved the light slowly over the rubble, hoping to find a decent sized opening, nothing, not even an opening big enough for Krosp. She turned back to the others—

Krosp ears suddenly popped up. His eyes went wide. “Look out!” he yelped before diving forward, out of the way of a door. Before anyone could react the door caved in, and in its wake landed a cat like clank. Nobody moved. The clank had landed in-between Zeetha and Higgs on one side and Theo, Sleipnir and Krosp on the other and now stood frozen. It1 was large, if more long than bulky, reminding Zeetha of the Klasu back home, at least it would have if it wasn’t for the scorpion like tail that stood frozen in a curve over the beast’s back…

“Is it… dead?” Theo asked after a long while. The beast didn’t move, frozen.

Krosp shrugged and looked closer, claw scratching his chin. “It is damaged, looks like something hit it.”

Theo leaned down a picked up a large splinter, and without warning tossed it in front of the clank’s snout. It once again didn’t react. Zeetha did though, whipping up to glare at Theo for the lack of warning. With her movement her hand holding her light shifted slightly and the Clank’s head suddenly whipped around to stare at Zeetha and Higgs who froze.

Now that it was looking right at her, she could see what Krosp meant. Half of its cranium has collapsed inward, leaving only one eye to stare at them with dim, almost unnoticeable red light, but as Zeetha noted grimly, its mouth and all its teeth seemed to have escaped any damage.

“What? What set it off?” Sleipnir whispered from across the beast, one hand gripping Theo’s arm tightly.

“I’m not sure,” Theo whispered back. “Something they did—”

A wire hanging from where it’s missing eye should have been sparked. Zeetha’s free hand darted to her neck as her throat suddenly burned and tightened. The clank snarled and pounced. Higgs jumped to the side and Zeetha managed to jump back, if only barely, stumbling into a wall. It ignored Higgs and pounced at her again, forcing her to make another, rather embarrassing, leap away.

“It’s the light!” Krosp shouted. “It’s following the light!”

Zeetha collapsed into another wall and flicked the wheel, missing the first time but managing the second. Both lights blinked out and the group was left in complete darkness, save for the one dim red eye not far from Zeetha’s face, frozen.

Zeetha swallowed three times past the tightness of her throat. The pain was gone as if it had never been there, but her hands were trembling again. Barely, practically unnoticeable to anyone but her, but to a clank…

Zeetha closed her eyes tightly, took a deep breath through her nose, counted to ten, and let it out while shaking her head. Her hands still trembled.

“What do we do?”

“With no light I don’t think it can see us, we can just go past it.”

“Do _you_ want to risk touching it?”

“We can see its eye, as long as we are careful…”

“Where to though, this way is collapsed, and the other branch was about to fall in on itself?”

“I guess we’ll have to backtrack.”

“That’s a long way—”

Zeetha breathed slowly and then her eyes popped open. She could feel the corner of two wall meeting at her back. That meant she was back to where they had turned. Which meant—

Zeetha held down another button and flicked the switch. A small red dot appeared on the wall in front of her. The eye shifted, looking at it. With a slightly trembling flick she moved the dot to the center of the intersection. It followed with another pounce and then let out a shriek of grinding gears and scraping metal when it found the light on its paw. With a thrust it slammed its tail forward, stabbing straight at the dot and through its paw, which made it shriek louder.

Zeetha winced from the noise. That was one way to dealing with it, but she had a different idea, and flicked her wrist again, away from her, and with all luck right into—

The clank jumped, and then let out one final scream as the floor splinted from under it and it fell what sounded like far more than a single story. A final thump echoed through the darkness, and after two breaths, Zeetha flicked the lights back on.

“That… worked.” Theo said, wide eyed after a long moment of silence. “I have no idea what you did, but it worked.”

Zeetha ignored him, staring at the pit the beast had fallen through.

“Hey guys, I can’t see too well, but I think there is another door on the other side of this room,” Sleipnir called out, sounding uncertain. “It could lead to another hall? Maybe we don’t have to back track?”

“Could be,” Higgs replied as he lumbered over to where Zeetha was still sitting against the wall. He offered a hand. “Nice work.” Zeetha stared up at him and after a second grasped his hand. She had meant to simply use it as leverage, if only to not leave his offer hanging, but to her surprise she found herself being pulled to her feet. His grip was stronger than she expected, not painful, but strong. “You… ah, you okay?”

Her hands weren’t trembling anymore so she didn’t feel like a liar as she nodded yes. Only then did Higgs let go, practically dropping her hand as he only just realized he was still holding it. Zeetha stared down at it and then up to him strangely. “You ready to go,” he asked, with a nod to the door the other we’re crowded by. For a second Zeetha would have sworn he looked a little embarrassed. “You have the light after all.”

Zeetha nodded again and joined the others. With a quick check with her blacklight, in which she found to her surprise, no blood at all, though there were some other colored stains on some of the furniture that she rather not know about, she deemed the room safe enough and took a careful step in.

“Oh, help! Finally!” An almost too pleasant sounding voice announced. “It’s about doorknob.”

The group, as one, glanced up at the ceiling.

“I said time.” The voice corrected. “That’s what I bounced.”

“So… do we just ignore him again,” Sleipnir suggested.

“NO!” The voice suddenly thundered, several paintings in the room clattered against the wall, causing the group to flinch back. “I must be damaged! No washed! No Shined! No—”

“Fixed?” Higgs suggested, almost sounding wary.

“Yes!”

The group fell silent. After a moment Zeetha glanced away from the ceiling and to the others, to find Sleipnir and Theo looking at her. “What?”

The two glanced at each other, shrugged, and looked back. “Well, what do you think?” Sleipnir asked.

“Me?”

“Well, I mean with Gil gone…?” She shrugged.

Zeetha blinked a couple of times, lost for words. “Sure,” she finally said. Krosp snorted in distaste. She looked at him with a frown. “Agatha wants it fixed, Agatha needs it fixed, if it’s fixed Zola can’t break it, if it’s fixed it could help us find her?”

The Castle, who had gone to some surprise quiet as they talked, spoke up. “Fix me? Yes? No? Not no! Must fix! Yes!” It let out a low sound that Zeetha could only describe as a growl of frustration though it sounded more like the groaning of stonework shifting than anything human. Zeetha couldn’t help but empathize. It sucked when words wouldn’t behave.

“It’s degrading pretty hard,” Theo observed as he glanced around. “Where does it even want fixed?”

“Left!” It shouted while a painting rattled to their right. Zeetha glanced over to it. She shifted the light to find a large chunk of the wall crumbled: gears, wires and other odds and ends glinted in the dim light. Belatedly Zeetha realized that the only paintings the Castle seemed to enjoy rattling were on the far side of it,

Theo approached. “This shouldn’t be too hard,” he muttered. “It just looks like a bunch of wires got severed, a few gears out of place…”

“Are they live?” Sleipnir asked bringing the bag of tools with her.

Theo ducked in and pulled out a thick cable, it had been barely managing to keep together and with his tug snapped. Sparks shot out from the one he was holding. While the other one Sleipnir snatched before it could hit the dusty rug below and start a fire.  Electricity arched, up and over from one free wire to the other.

“Yup.” Theo stated. “Which will make it a little harder, but the cord is well insulated so we’ll be fine. I’m actually going to need yours first though”

Zeetha, who had frozen at the first sign of the spark, finally snapped out of it and turned, shoving the light into Higgs surprised hands and marching back over to the door. “Guarding,” she managed over her shoulder as she left into the hall.

Outside she stared into the pitch darkness and tried to pretend she couldn’t still hear the hum and snap of the free electricity, or that she couldn’t smell its ozone. That she didn’t feel like she was one step from choking. Taking a step to the side Zeetha sat down heavily and leaned against the wall. It was fine, everything was fine. Closing her eyes Zeetha thought back to home, to her mother, to training. There was no room, or light, or privacy to do a proper meditative kata, a saham, but she could at least do the breathing.

In a couple of breaths Zeetha felt much better, if nostalgic and she opened her eyes, to her surprise, light. Higgs followed it a moment later, glancing both ways before spotting her on the ground. The two stared for a long moment before Higgs offered her the NOPET. “They got their own, said you could have this back. Hard to guard much in the dark.”

Zeetha could feel her face burn as she took the light, and had to hope its red tinge would hide it. She turned forward and stared at the wall across the way. “Make less of a target though,” she offered even though the excuse felt flat.

“True.” Higgs shifted. “Mind if I join you, I don’t have much place with smart guys.”

Zeetha’s eyes narrowed. “Saying your dumb?”

Higgs was silent for a long moment, and then sighed. “Well,” He started. “I suppose I _was_ in the middle of that bar fight to.”

Zeetha had to snort at that. She would give him that one. “True,” she said, shrugging the shoulder nearest him. “And I guess…”

He leaned against the doorframe and pulled out his pipe.

“But you implied I’m dumb again.”

To her surprise Higgs nearly choked on his pipe. “That’s not—I didn’t—It was supposed to—”

Zeetha let out her near silent laugh, and part of her was surprised he seemed to have heard it as he instantly stopped. “Figured.” She turned to look up at him, smirk sliding across her face. “You good at that?”

She could see the confusion on his face as he worked through what she meant, even she knew that had been worded poorly, but after understanding dawned he turned away to look up at the ceiling in what Zeetha was tempted to classify as a rolling of eyes and then took a puff of his pipe. “Seems so.”

Zeetha snorted against and rested her chin on her knees.

After a moment he added. “Smart guys… that just somethin’ to mean Sparks is all, it’s not somethin’ against you.”

Zeetha tilted her head. She had begun to catch on to that, thinking back she could remember the boyz and Mamma using the term, still— She grinned into the gloom. “Van is no Spark.”

“Well ye-perhaps, but he was _with_ Sparks—”

“And the Sparks _I_ know _would_ get into barfight.”

“I—” He paused. Took another puff of his pipe and then sighed. “You _may_ have a point there.”

Zeetha laughed again.

“See, now I _know_ your sending me out for a crate of balloon juice,” Higgs said and Zeetha could hear amusement in his voice even as she narrowed her eyes in confusion.

“Wha—?”

“Messing wit’ me,” he explained. “Balloon juice isn’t real, you see.”

Zeetha nodded. “Kolee zur nazet ekolee,” she mumbled without thinking.

“Hmm?”

Zeetha hesitated for a second but figured there was no harm. “It’s similar, means… ‘Master wants you at Master’s room?’” We would search for ages looking for the room not knowing it didn’t exist. Didn’t help that everyone seemed to be on the joke, even the ser—”

“Would you stop that,” Krosp snapped from behind them. Zeetha’s mouth snapped closed and she refused to look.

“Sorry, but it _is_ really funny,” Sleipnir apologized sounding about as sorry as a bear with honey.

“How would _you_ like your ear turned into a socket and your whiskers into filaments,” He hissed.

“I don’t have whiskers.”

“I could claw you up a few,” Krosp offered seriously.

Sleipnir let off a nervous laugh. “No, no I’m good. Hey Theo, you need this side yet?”

“Yup! That should be the last wire too”

“Sounds like they’re finishing up,” Higgs said as he glanced over his shoulder. Zeetha grimaced. She was aware she wasn’t subtle when electricity came up but she still would prefer to not be obvious either. He paused for a long moment and then added, “looks like all they got left is some gears.” Zeetha gritted her teeth lightly as she stood up, debating whether Higgs had caught on or not. Probably she decided with some discomfort and distaste. Maybe even the entire reason he had joined her, and that was a thought she wasn’t sure how to feel about.

They returned to the room and Zeetha felt the tightness in her chest loosen as she noted it seemed Higgs was right. All the split wires and cables had been fixed up, and Theo held the last of the gears, carefully attempting to push it into place. With a shove it popped in and he yelped as the gears snapped to life nearly catching his fingers.

“Excellent!” The Castle laughed and Zeetha had to step away as suddenly all the rubble from the broken wall came to life, flinging into the air and rushing to the damaged wall, repairing it instantly. “It feels so good to be able to do that again.”

She glanced around to make sure nobody had been sealed up, as she wouldn’t put past the Castle doing that from their brief acquaintance in the crypt. To her relief, and lack of surprise she found Higgs standing as he had been, and the others on the floor. She then took a step forward, and for lack of a better option, looked up. “You fixed now?”

“Well…” The Castle started. “I am significantly enhanced. My reach in the Castle has grown by half, and I have absorbed one of my smaller… more damaged fragments.”

“The one that was babbling at us?” Sleipnir asked.

“That was no babble that was Ol’Mec, a beautiful language and it’s a shame you don’t know it,” the Castle all but sniffed. “What are the schools teaching these days?”

“Nothing like that if you don’t go to a Mechanicsburg school,” Higgs spoke up from her side. Zeetha glanced over at him strangely, but he seemed the same as ever. Then she shivered and glanced around warily. It was as if a giant presence had suddenly zeroed in on her… or she reconsidered glancing again back at Higgs, maybe him.

“The Masters did prefer the language stay in the city,” it mused oddly, then changed the subject. “But yes, that was the fragment you ran into prior to me. I now control where it had been.”

“But no lights?” Higgs asked after a moment. His voice was a tinge off, but to Zeetha’s frustration, wasn’t something she could quite place. Exasperation seemed the closest but that seemed out of character from what she’s seen such far. Odd

“The power I’m getting from outside of my reign of influence is minimal,” The Castle sniffed once more, sounding offended. “With that in mind limiting power usage from unnecessary things such as light is exceedingly important.”

Zeetha turned her head a slight bit and from the corner of her eye could just see a raised eyebrow on Higgs through the dim light.

“…and all the bulbs on this floor blew during the explosion,” the Castle finally finished in a mummer.

“Ah,” Higgs responded, looking, well, mostly himself but there was something there—pleased perhaps. Even more odd. Zeetha thought on that for a moment before shaking it off. Odd or not it wasn’t the focus right now.

“Can you lead us to Agatha now?”

“Who?”

Zeetha debated for a moment and then shrugged internally. “You’re new Heterodyne.”

“New Heterodyne? Says who?” The Castle asked, sounding far more agreeable than the one in the crypts, far more trusting. Zeetha wasn’t sure what to think of that as the presence briefly returned to her area, and then away again.

“The you in the crypts.” She tried. It seemed the best answer.

It was silent, and then finally. “Well it _would_ know.”

Something was wrong about this. This was going way to well, way too easy. The Castle shouldn’t have been this willing. It felt like a trap.

“She’s trying to fix you.” She added, hoping that may help. It _was_ very damaged, maybe it would be less likely to—whatever it must be planning because this wasn’t right, not in the least.

“That is certainty good news.” It agreed. “I can lead you to next section of damage as I get more and more reconnected, if she really is working on fixing the damage we should run into her eventually. Yes?”

That seemed fair, and was similar to what they were doing already, so after a quick glance at the others, who seemed, Krosp excluded as he simply glared at her, to be waiting for her to make a decision, she nodded. “Alright.”

“Wonderful! I’ll even give you a choice. Back the way you came is a broken down metric discombobulator or through the other door is a collapsed hypothermolectric cross wire.”

Agatha hadn’t been that way from what little Zeetha knew, and if they backtracked they risked running into Gil, so Zeetha said, “forward.”

“Splendid.”

It was getting weirder and weirder, Zeetha couldn’t help but think as she opened the door and carefully examined the hall beyond. Dark, morbid, dusty, same as the one they had come from.

“If you could speed it up a little,” the Castle urged. “I have complete access to this floor, the traps won’t hurt you.”

Zeetha hesitated. Again this was wrong. It was like they were getting better treatment than Agatha had been. It made no sense. Wanting repairs hadn’t stopped it from trapping and killing workers before. She’s seen the dead bodies, the traps in the main hall.

Still she went.

“Left.” The Castle instructed happily and Zeetha turned, the others trailing behind her. Twice Zeetha noted enough of a blood trail to indicate a trap and slowed to the Castle’s complaints, and twice they didn’t go off. Leaving Theo and Sleipnir to go about their work repairing small things here and there as the Castle led them to the next big repair job.

So as it was when they approached the next sign of a trap, some kind of dart trap Zeetha could tell instantly from the small hidden holes in the wall, the two of them were in front of her, chatting quietly with jargon Zeetha couldn’t make heads or tails of. In fact it was lucky they had made their way to the front, as just as Krosp, trailing behind, stepped into range, Zeetha heard a click and dashed her hands forward. Pushing Theo to the ground, pulling Sleipnir to her and during a half twirl herself as several darts flew past. With another click they stopped and Zeetha let out a breath. That hadn’t been as hard as she would have expected, though she was beginning to feel like a babysitter again.

“Whoops, my apologies, that trap was just a bit too fast for me.” The Castle said with more than a little amusement.

Zeetha took another breath, and then let go of Sleipnir who immediately jumped to check on Theo. Glancing around she found the others alright as well. Krosp had evaded the trap by jumping backwards, though his coat had been nicked a few times while Higgs simply stood where he had been unperturbed if a little annoyed.

“You… not hit?” Zeetha asked rather flabbergasted. A quick glance around him to the darts lodged into the far wall showed that they had only just barely missed him. Higgs started at the question, and then looked sheepish.

“Just… got lucky.”

“Shall we continue?” The Castle suggested gleefully. Zeetha rubbed the bridge of her nose and vowed to stay in front from now on as she led the group forward.

 

“Watch it.”

Zeetha turned and eyed Higgs strangely as he retracted his arm, keeping his pipe a fair distance from his own body. A second look spotted a small spider clinging to its top. With an expert flick he flung it, as well as to his disgruntlement a fair bit of tobacco, away from the group.

“Venomous?” Krosp asked with some curiosity.

Higgs shrugged as he re-stuffed his pipe, seemingly unconcerned the spider had been on it. “Figured anything that lives in this place is probably dangerous.”

“Should you be smoking that then?”

“’s not like it bit it.”

Zeetha looked back the way the spider had been flung. “Tokani ma, mutani la.” She turned back to the group. “Big deadly, small lethal. Thank you.”

With that they continued on. Krosp’s ears twitched.

 

“That gear of yours is getting closer,” Krosp stated suddenly. Zeetha blinked and realized the noise she had brushed off ages ago did seem louder.

“That’s odd, there are no large gears in this area of the castle.” The Castle stated, intrigued. “Unless… what day is it?”

“Monday?” Theo answered uncertain.

“No, it’s got to be Tuesday by now,” Sleipnir corrected. “It was nearly Tuesday when we came in and it’s been hours since then.”

“Oh dear, I suggest you move then.”

“What—”

From down the hall a giant horn sounded and part of the ceiling collapsed and with it came a huge, pointy, metal ball.

“…That’s not a gear…” Theo managed to choke out as the ball rolled to them at an astonishing rate.

“Move!” Krosp yelled out. Zeetha jolted, grabbing Theo and Sleipnir by the back of their shirts and pulling them with her as she kicked down a door to her left. With a swoosh, her hair swung as the ball hurried past by centimeters. After a moment of held breath Zeetha let go of the others and peeked out to see Higgs and Krosp doing the same from across the hall. She stepped out carefully.

“Why is there a metal tumbleweed?” Theo yelped as he took his turn of peeking out, using one arm to keep Sleipnir, to her notable disgruntlement, behind him. He punctuated his words with an impressive gesture to where the ball had gone.

“That wasn’t a metal tumbleweed young man, that was the Happy Fun Ball of Death,” The Castle corrected sounding rather snobbish.

“But _why_?”

“It’s fun for family _and_ visitors alike.”

Theo froze, thought that through, and then deflated as he remembered where he was. “Right.”

“In any case it won’t be back for another six days,” The Castle brushed off. “And good news!”

“…What?”

“My day calculator has been recalibrated; it seems I was off by nearly eleven hours, how embarrassing.”

“…Let’s just go.”

 

“Is that painting breathing…”

“…I think so.”

“So… how do we get around it?”

“Oh don’t worry, it’s quite safe.”

“…Right…”

“No, really, all it does is breath. It’s a work by Vulcan Heterodyne, one of the few Art Sparks of the family… he was a bit… _odd_.”

“Not sure if hearing that from you is reassuring, or absolutely terrifying.”

“I do my best!”

“Going.”

“But Zeetha—”

“Higgs’ already passed it.”

“Yeah but… I’m beginning to think that man has no sense of danger – …and she’s gone.”

 “He’s certainly lucky that’s for sure.”

“So do we join them?”

“Both of them are fine and it’s better than staying here.”

“True.”

 

“There that should do it,” Theo said as he leaned back on his elbows, his sleeves had been pushed up and his hands cover in oil and other liquids he didn’t want to think about. “How’s that?”

“Hm, let’s see,” The Castle buzzed from above. “I seem to now have control back over—oh!”

“What?” Zeetha asked. She had been standing a little to the side, leaning against a wall with Higgs as Theo and Sleipnir worked. Bored she had been entertaining herself by messing with her pointer again. She had even noticed a look of amusement on Higgs face and had been working on seeing if she could get a laugh. Krosp had been a great, if unwilling help in that regard. “Find Agatha?”

“No. No. Better… or, well… not better per _se_ , but just as _good_ —”

“ _Just_ say it.”

“I am now not only capable of sensing all of my weather vanes, but I can tell they are all intact!”

Zeetha wasn’t sure what a weather vane even was, but considering the look on Sleipnir’s face, and the sigh she could hear from Higgs general direction she was pretty sure it wasn’t anything actually important. She rubbed at the bridge of her nose feeling a headache coming on that had never really left.

“Weather vanes?” Krosp asked as he fixed his jacket, trying rather hard to regain some dignity. “How are _they_ important?”

“Weather Vane’s are _wonderful_ and I’ll have you know I have the best collection in all of Europa!”

“What has that have to do with anything you stup—” Zeetha flicked her light again, sending the dot racing across the floor in front of Krosp and him flying right after it. The Castle had been disturbingly personable and compliant so far, the last thing she needed was for it to be insulted and turn on them.

“Just tell us where to go next.”

“Right, right… I don’t suppose any of you have a fear of heights, one of my weather vanes seem to have been bent out of place—”

“Not that!”

“Fine.” The Castle grumbled. “Stupid people, stupid messed up priorities, find a nice trap, that would show them—” It muttered in the closest approximation of under its breath, which basically sounded as normal except sulky. Zeetha rolled her eyes.

“We’ll fix it after we find Agatha and—” she paused, thought that through, and added. “And meet her.”

Gears sounded in the walls. “Fine,” The Castle eventually grumbled. “I suppose she _is_ the priority…”

 

“You’re _stopping?_ ”

“We need to eat, and they,” Zeetha nodded over to Theo  and Sleipnir who were leaning against each other near their light looking exhausted, slowly eating some sandwiches they had thankfully brought, while wearily watching Krosp prowl around some furniture in the bedroom they had holed up in. “Need to rest.”

“Surly it’s not that bad, it’s only been a couple of hours at most,” the Castle complained.

Zeetha shrugged as she took a bite of her sandwich. She was leaning against a wall near the door out, keeping watch. “It’s been long day, little sleep beforehand, and their not used to this it seems.”

“Hmph,” The Castle grumped. Zeetha ignored it and took another bite. “They don’t make minions like they used too.”

“Um-hmm,” Zeetha allowed.

“No craftsmanship and they never last. Not even a hundred years ago a minion could go for a day at _least_ with the proper motivation, and you didn’t have to worry about them not working right the next day either.”

Zeetha grimaced at the wording. “Right…”

“Ew!”

Zeetha glanced over just in time to see a tail go down Krosp’s gullet. Nearby Higgs looked up as well from where he had already finished his sandwich and made himself comfortable on a dusty overstuffed chair.

“Krosp that’s disgusting,” Sleipnir gaped looking as green as her shirt and rather put off from her own sandwich.

“What? I was hungry.”

“You just ate a mouse, a mouse _from_ Castle _Heterodyne_ ,” Theo reminded him, looking rather disturbed as well. Krosp for a moment looked nervous but pushed it aside.

“It was a _mouse_ , what harm could it do.”

“Well… there are the ghost mice.” The Castle pipped up sounding rather cheerful.

“… Ghost mice?”

“Oh yes, Luthur Heterodyne’s accidental creation… some chemicals accidentally fell on some test mice in his lab, they escaped, and well, did what mice do. Dreadfully hard to kill, especially after they wiped out the entire pride of mouser cats we had. Had to make some new, better ones.”

“Was the mouse he ate a ghost mouse?” Theo asked after a long moment.

“I don’t know, I wasn’t paying attention… if he suddenly becomes very ill, changes color, or spontaneously combusts we’ll know, though generally it would have happened by now.”

Krosp didn’t say anything but Zeetha could see the relief in his pose even from her spot.

“Though,” the Castle added. “Sometimes it takes a day or two, that’s when they tend to melt.”

And there went the relief. Zeetha rolled her eyes and looked back out into the hall. She was pretty sure the Castle was messing with them, and a quick glance at Higgs, who had already gone back to napping, it seemed he thought the same. The rest could figure that out on their own.

 

“Oh.”

Zeetha paused in her step and glanced upwards. The Castle sounded worried for once, which was, honestly, absolutely nerve-wracking. “What?”

“I’ve suddenly lost access to a couple of my subsystems. Nothing essential from what I can tell, but I am fond of them…”

Zeetha and Sleipnir shared a glance. Zola’s plan was to kill the Castle, could she have started? They continued on and nobody commented on the faster pace.

 

A woman with dark hair and very limited clothing sat in a dark chair surrounded by skulls of many different kinds. Zeetha couldn’t help but stare at it, this painting she had found while waiting for Theo and Sleipnir to do their work. It was even, in an interesting choice, greyscaled— she could imagine the woman’s hair a near black green, her skin like hers, her eyes a soft brown. The features were wrong, the background, the symbol and ornamentation— _but_ she could _imagine_.

A hand touched her shoulder and Zeetha flinched away before she even processed the accompanying words, despite them coming at the same time. “Hey, we’re ready to go.”

Zeetha swallowed down the shaky feeling in her chest and turned. She didn’t have to be good at reading body language to see Sleipnir was concerned.

“Are you okay?”

Zeetha smiled. It felt weak but Sleipnir seemed to find it good enough as she relaxed. “Just surprised me.”

“Heh, sorry, I would have thought you would hear me coming.” She looked over Zeetha’s shoulder. “What were you looking at… oh, well, Heterodyne picked some interesting people to be their wives didn’t they…”

Zeetha could feel her heart fall at the words despite that being silly. Sleipnir wouldn’t have known, and the woman in that portrait and the woman she had imagined— they were two _very_ different people. She was likely right.

Zeetha’s hand twitched and the feeling didn’t go away. She shook her head. “Let’s go.”

 

 “Why haven’t these flux monitors been _upgraded_ , they went out of style _and_ were obsolete hundreds of _years_ ago!”

“How _dare_ you!”

 

“It’s made out of gears!” Krosp yelled from behind her. Zeetha gritted her teeth. Wonderful. Good to know. Great use of time.

She dodged out of the way of the ghost—gear ghost—nano-gear ghost—whatever it was and took a swipe, cutting off an arm only for it to reform. All she knew was that it made less sense than anything she had ever seen. _Ever._

She rounding around it hoping for something: a cable, a switch, _anything_ she could hit that would stop it from reforming, that wasn’t apparently, so tiny they could barely be seen, gears. As she did she got a good look at the others. Theo and Sleipnir were discussing heavily, which may have been fruitful if they didn’t also look like an apprentice with their first sword. Krosp seemed both bored and amused by the show the little henzer and Higgs was…

Watching her again. Like he had back at the bar. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Flattered was there, deep down, but—Zeetha let out a hiss as a close swipe tore a tiny slit into her sleeve. Never mind. She knew exactly how she felt. Annoyed because NOBODY ELSE WAS HELPING!

 

“Why’d you have to hit me?”

“You have swords.”

“Yeah—”

“ _Then_ use them!”

“…and me?”

“You in army?”

“… The Air Fleet—”

“ _Then_ fight!”

Zeetha turned on her heel and stormed forward, muttering under her breath about _not_ being a _bodyguard_. _Not_ being a _babysitter_. The other’s watched her go, sheepish. The Castle above giggled in glee. After a moment Theo turned to Sleipnir with a pout.

“Don’t look at me like that; I’m not the one obviously carrying weapons that I haven’t used once since coming in here.” Sleipnir replied dryly as she passed him.

“Oh...”

The Castle was still laughing as they rushed to catch up to her. Krosp’s ears flattened as he asked. “What do you find so funny?”

“Oh, nothing, nothing.”

 

“We can’t go this way”

“It’s just a small jump!”

“It’s 15 feet! At least!”

“I believe in you!”

“ _There_ are _spikes_ at the bottom!”

 

“I’m afraid you will have to push on without me for the moment,” The Castle sighed suddenly as the group approached a rather decorative door. “This door marks my realm of control.”

“What are we supposed to do then?”

“I still have some observation for a bit farther than here, if nothing else, and I can see some damage that if fixed will at least let me catch up to you if not give me more.”

Zeetha looked at the door and nodded.

“Just follow this hall for another three crossroads, after that should be a staircase that will take you down stairs, take a left there and it should be readily apparent what needs fixing even to the… less trained.”

“Wait… what is that’s supposed to mean,” Theo blinked. Zeetha threw an arm out to stop him. She was pretty sure by this point that this fragment of the Castle was just more pleasant if just as morbid, but no need to press their luck. At the moment it could still throw bricks around after all.

She turned and pushed open the door. It squeaked from lack of use that felt longer than the twenty years.

“Oh and, one more thing,” the Castle interrupted. Zeetha paused in the doorway and looked up. “Do try to not die, conditions for reverification are highly unsuitable at the moment and I really _do_ want that weather vane fixed as soon as possible.

Zeetha just barely stopped the roll of her eyes and nodded before leading the group on.

 

“Does anyone else see a large glow up ahead?”

Zeetha briefly covered the light with her thumb, and peered ahead. A light greenish yellow illuminated far in the distance… though it didn’t seem to be coming from the hall itself, but somewhere… below it.

Hoping it wasn’t another hole they would have to find their way around Zeetha pressed on. There had been those glowing mushrooms in the tunnels, perhaps it or something similar had simply taken root in the last twenty years. Possibly. Maybe. Probably not.

“It’s a… bridge?” Theo stepped slightly over to a side to peer down. “I can’t see anything, it’s too bright.”

Zeetha carefully took a few steps forward, and glanced around as well. It smelled slightly of moisture and down the wall she could see the top half of what looked like a grate to let the water flow. Zeetha couldn’t say she was surprised that the Heterodynes may have had a stream running through their castle. It even could have purpose: easily defendable drinking water, use as a sewer, a way to get unwanted chemicals out quick… but she was pretty sure it was likely just because they could. They sounded like those kind of people. Either way she couldn’t hear any running water now.

“Theo!”

Zeetha turned on her heel in time to watch Sleipnir dash from her spot at the head of the bridge and snatch one of Theo’s swords from its hilt to swipe at a glowing tentacle that had begun to wrap around his leg before Zeetha had managed to notice it was there. She couldn’t help but be impressed by her speed and reflexes, even if her grip on the sword made her physically wince.

The tentacle cut easily, spurting out blood or some other kind of goo of the same color. Some of it got on the cuff of Theo’s pants as he was backpedaled away from the edge by Sleipnir. Zeetha was just glad it didn’t seem to be dissolving it.

Zeetha drew one sword as she pocketed her light, and in the next moment drew her other, eyeing the tentacles rising all around her.

One darted at her, she jumped and sliced. Another tried to trip her from behind as she landed; she caught it on the way down. Great. Intelligent glowing tentacles, _just_ what she needed.

“Sleipnir get back,” Theo shouted as several headed their way. He cut them away with some difficulty. “Sword!”

“I can fight too!”

“You’re not even holding it right!”

Zeetha could hear her growl despite being several feet away.

“ _Please_!”

“If you die I will kill you,” Sleipnir hissed but she gave up the sword and allowed herself to be pushed back off the bridge, stealing the bag off of Theo as she did so. She rummaged around in it frantically. “Where is the firework gun!”

Zeetha dodged as several tentacles slammed where she had just been, part of the stonework cracked despite them being so easy to cut.

“I couldn’t find it! I think one of the residents took it during the show!” Theo yelled back.

“Dammit!”

To Zeetha’s relief (if also some irritation) Theo proved to be decently trained in his swords. They obviously hadn’t been for show, but despite the two of them cutting one tentacle after another there didn’t seem to be an end in sight.

A spork flew past Zeetha’s’ ear, hitting a tentacle and was subsequently absorbed.

“God dammit Gil this thing is completely useless.” Sleipnir snapped from behind. A tentacle whipped towards Theo’s face only to be slapped away by the Hand-Cranked Runcible Gun. The rebound sent the gun flying into the light below but Zeetha could only applaud the aim.

This wasn’t working. They had to move. “We need to make opening!” She yelled to Theo.

“What?”

“They won’t stop coming! We need to get across! Push!”

“If you say so.” He didn’t sound sure. Zeetha didn’t feel sure. The bridge was too wide for her to make an opening by herself, but that would leave the back open for attacks on the others, but it was the only choice.

“Follow us!” She yelled back.

“Are you crazy!” Krosp shouted at her. Zeetha gritted her teeth.

“Just _do_ it!”

Zeetha was beginning to expect that whatever was below them could regenerate with how fast new tentacles replaced the old, but slowly she and Theo made progress, step by step across the bridge. Slow, to make sure as many tentacles were gone as possible before they pushed, to limit the ones capable from acting behind them.

A splash behind her told her it wasn’t going to be that easy, but Zeetha had to ignore it for a moment as a wall of tentacles tried to smack her from the bridge. A high jump and several creative slashes got her through it and gave her enough of an opening to be able to glance behind with her peripheral vision, ready to jump to aid. Sleipnir and Krosp were just behind them, or more accurately Theo, Krosp having clung to Theo’s back at one point, and Sleipnir having fallen to using the tool filled bag as a club. Higgs on the other hand had fallen a slight bit behind and—

Two strange squid like creatures lay oozing on the stonework and as Zeetha watched Higgs dodged another with eye blurring speed and with a single well placed punch sent it flying into the hall they had come from. For a split moment she could only stare before a glow at the corner of her vision tore her focus and forced her to turn away from him or risk her head. Not the time she reminded herself. Remember and think later.

She picked up the pace, spurring Theo to do the same. She wasn’t so worried about their flank any more.

 

As soon as they were past the door Krosp jumped from Theo’s shoulders, dashing halfway down the hall before stopping to watch the rest of them. Higgs and Theo shoved the door closed with a heave. The world went silent.

Then Theo let out a long laugh and allowed himself to slide down the door until he was sitting. “That was… something.” He choked out as he accepted Sleipnir into his arms. Zeetha turned to give them some privacy and found Higgs eyeing the door with vague interest. Zeetha stared at him for a long moment.

“You okay?”

Higgs turned and blinked at her. “Fine. Nothing touched me. You cut them before they could.”

For a second she felt flattered, but she shoved it aside since she knew it wasn’t true. “Seems _you_ touched it?” She gestured with her head to his hand, where his knuckles glowed slightly. She could see the faintest trace of a grimace in his face as he rubbed his knuckles on his pants. Then it was gone.

“Tried punching one. Don’t think it did much but they didn’t seem to like being touched.”

Zeetha nodded and turned away before she let her face fall momentarily. He was lying. Trying to pretend he hadn’t done much at all, when he _had_.

Not only that, but that stance, the way he had held himself for a split second after the punch, before he had allowed himself to relax—so, _so_ similar to his normal way of holding himself but unmistakably the stance of a true warrior. One who had been fighting long enough to be comfortable and at ease in a fight. And his punch, obviously more than something one picked up in a bar fight, practiced if not trained at the very least. A _lot_ of practice. He could fight, and he could fight _well._

At any other time she would appreciate that, appreciate _seeing_ that, but with everything else she couldn’t help but worry. She had already been certain he was hiding something, but now it was obvious. But what? And why? For who? From who?

She was so tired of sneakiness. So tired of questions and no answers. Of having to clue things together instead of just being told. The lack of honesty.

Zeetha wanted to sigh but didn’t. Instead she rolled her shoulders and set her jaw. Hate it or not this was her life now and she wasn’t going to let it bring her down. She was going to win. Even if that meant musing out every secret of Higgs, and Tarvek, and Klaus and _anyone_ else had. She had too, if only for her piece of mind.

A thud at the door behind them had Zeetha flinching from her thoughts. Theo and Sleipnir jumped away from it and they all spared it a wary glance.

“Breaks over,” Krosp stated already half way down the hall. Nobody had any objections

Zeetha and Sleipnir heaved a large piece of rubble away from the wall. Not far from them Higgs did the same with a slightly smaller piece. Zeetha couldn’t help but watch him as he did so. He heaved as if the rock was heavy, but there was a lack of strain, a missing lack of breath that gave him away. The slightest hesitation and the quickest look their way, as if judging how he should act off of them.

She frowned as the stone finally rolled far enough down the hall. Sleipnir heaved beside her and Zeetha rubbed some sweat and dust from her face, leaning back on the stone with her other arm.

“Oh this will be easy,” Theo exclaimed and Zeetha glanced over with a tired look.

She tried to gauge just how long she’d been awake—approaching two days she expected. Normally she could go on for much more than that, but normally she usually had more food to eat as well. She was good for another day or so, but after that, unless she got some decent food in her, she was going to start faltering. She could only hope she found all of her idiots before that happened.

“It’s only a cable that got severed with some rubble. All I got to do is this… and then this… And—!”

“Oh yes that is much better,” The Castle suddenly proclaimed. “Here, let me get that for you.”

The rubble Zeetha had been leaning again shook and Zeetha barely had time to push off it before it shot into the air, the other large pieces in the area, including some that had been blocking their path, joining it to remake the ceiling. Theo yelped as then smaller pieces whizzed past his face, filling in the hole in the wall he had been working in.

“Thanks,” Zeetha replied with as much snark as she could muster as she tried to dust off the dust that had fallen in the repairing.

The Castle was obviously not listening as it mused over the new area it was once again connected to.

“Not yet the entire castle no… but still so much more than before… My I certainly need a dusting… Oh, I see the glow squid have grown quite a bit since I last could check on them. How nice.”

Zeetha gritted her teeth, but swallowed her indignation. She was certain it had been able to see the squid before, just found it amusing to not mention them. It had practically said as much.

“Hmm, I can also sense some other life forms… a male and a female, perhaps the supposed Lady?”

Maybe, or some prisoners, or Tarvek and Violetta. “Can… you see color?”

“Hmph, of course I can,” It replied sounding rather offended. “Your hair is a rather… _unusual_ shade of green… pretty dirty too,” it added to prove its point. Zeetha was pretty sure that was intended to offend her but she ignored it.

“What hair color then?”

“Hmm… they both share a shade of red… a very familiar shade of red now that I think about it… where…”

“Take us to them.” Zeetha told it, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Tarvek and Violetta then. Well at least she would find him before finding Agatha.

“Certainty she is _not_ the supposed lady,” The Castle asked aghast. “Europsynia never had any children.”

Great. The Castle had figured out where he had seen that red from before. Zeetha could only hope it wouldn’t decide to just kill Tarvek.

“She isn’t.”

“Then I don’t see any reason to waste time on them.”

“Agatha ordered me to watch him.”

“I don’t see how your failure is _my_ problem.” It snipped back. From the corner of her eye Zeetha could see Higgs glance up at the ceiling with a look of disproval. Zeetha frowned harder and did her best to keep her voice level.

“Agatha would be upset if something happened to him.”

The Castle was silent for a long moment. Then, “A consort then,” Is said in what Zeetha could only describe as glee and approval. “Well I suppose we could take a short pit stop for _that.”_

“Zot mamunet,” Zeetha muttered to herself. In his dreams perhaps, she thought even knowing full well that wasn’t entirely true for whatever crazy reason, before shaking her head. “He’s also strong Spark.”

“Excellent.” The Castle all but purred. “Keep going forward and take a left at the second junction.”

Zeetha shivered slightly as she went to follow the instructions and began composing an apology to Agatha in her head.

 

“He’s in the lab through the door to the left.”

Zeetha didn’t allow the word lab to bother her and pulled open the door. Violetta jumped and almost dropped several vials of chemicals from the sudden intrusion. Tarvek didn’t seem concerned. He didn’t even bother to look at her and was holding some jumper cables in his hand. His hair was an absolute mess, and his grin on his face a little too wide.

“You’re going to want to look away.” Tarvek instructed, his voice a familiar mad.

Zeetha grimaced and turned her head into the doorframe, clenching her eyes tightly, and tried to ignore the presence of the other behind her in the hall. Even so the sound of the cables made her grit her teeth and once it was done she had to swallow twice before she could convince herself to look back.

“Hello Zeetha,” Tarvek responded distractedly as he held up a very familiar looking elixir in his hands. “I was wondering what happened to you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:  
> 1\. The Fun-sized MADD miniature, built to patrol the servant corridors, secret passages, rooms with average sized doors, and other smaller areas of the Castle their bigger cousin couldn’t fit in. Long and powerful, but significantly less bulky, not that much bigger than a lion or tiger, but far more deadly… when fully functional under the Castle’s command at least.


	16. In which Everyone Comes Together

“That—” Zeetha managed to choke out before her voice left her. Scowling she waved a hand and hummed instead.

“Yes,” Tarvek replied unperturbed. “It more of the Wasp inoculation. In fact, just enough for Agatha, Gil and everyone here.”

That… was honestly more productive and helpful than she has expected of him. Part of her had figured he would have made a beeline for Agatha. With plans that were just as much an honest warning as buttering up to her and making Gil look bad. Almost hoped for it really, just so he would get yelled at again.

“The what?” Theo asked from behind, wary. Zeetha was suddenly reminded that the two knew far less than they did. Higgs for that matter likely only had picked up bits and pieces. Well, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye, _probably_ anyway. He seemed somewhat concerned. Zeetha couldn’t fault him for that, it was obvious Tarvek expected them to drink the glowing liquid in his hand, and from experience she knew it wasn’t any fun.

“It will stop you from getting wasped.”

“But—”

“Not all wasped people are mindless, and there is a chance Sparks may soon be capable of being wasped.”

Theo and Sleipnir looked flabbergasted. Zeetha took a few steps forward to stand by Tarvek’s side as he carefully poured the elixir into individual vials.

“I was lucky. I found just enough ingredients that were still good to make just the right amount.” He informed her as he stood up straight with a stretch. Zeetha watched him for a moment, and then wacked up upside the head. “Hey!”

“Running off.”

“I couldn’t let Zola see me!”

Zeetha hummed crankily.

Tarvek turned to look at her, his face carefully neutral and Zeetha was reminded that they were both still rather pissed off at each other. He studied her for a long moment before looking away. “If she had seen me, Gi-Wulfenbach’s little plot would have been over.”

“Really?”

“Let me guess, Wulfenbach told you all about her.” Zeetha nodded slowly, crossing her arms. Tarvek sighed. “Well, up until today I likely would have agreed with him, believe it or not. I would have never thought she was their Heterodyne Girl, which means I missed something, which means she’s good, which means she’s _dangerous_.”

“Gil thinks she’s a pasty.”

“Wulfenbach is an idiot, where is he anyway?”

Zeetha tightened her lips together. Tarvek pinched his nose.

“He stayed with her didn’t he? The gullible fool could never deny a helpless pretty girl.” Tarvek groaned. “I swear if he gets _us_ all _killed_ , if he gets _Agatha hurt_ …”

Zeetha pulled on his sleeve, her brows furrowed. “Enough.”

“Fine.” Tarvek hissed. “It’s time everyone here took the inoculation anyway.”

“What exactly is in that…?” Sleipnir butted in warily, eyeing the vials.

“What’s in it is not important,” Tarvek waved aside. The others stared at him blankly, even Higgs looked unsure. He rolled his eyes.

“Look, both Zeetha and I took it and we’re fine. I even adjusted the formula to help migrate the side-effects.”

“…Side-effects?”

Tarvek groaned. Zeetha face palmed.

“Look. Agatha can control wasped people. If her mother takes control _she_ can control wasped people. At the moment assuring as many people around her remain unwasped is a priority. So _please_.” He waved his hand over the vials. “Unless you _want_ to be wasped.” He snapped, his tone taking on a tinge of frustrated madness. Zeetha eyed him and then glanced over to the others.

Theo, Sleipnir, and to some surprise even Violeta was looking back at her, as if looking for her opinion. She supposed that was only fair, as she had taken it, but she could only give a shrug in response. Tarvek was probably right, and with the Geisterdamen and the wasps free somewhere out there being wasped was a legitimate danger, but at the same time she knew how much it had sucked as well.

“Fine,” Violetta finally snapped, swiping a vial from the stand. Tarvek’s eyes went wide and he motioned her to be careful. “But if this kills me I’m coming back to haunt you.”

Tarvek rolled his eyes. “It’s not.” He turned to the others. “If it makes you feel any better Gil looked over it before. He even passed it along to the head doctor of Mechanicsburg Hospital.” Tarvek sounded conversational, but Zeetha could still just see a shred of reluctance as he spoke the last bit. She rolled her eyes with a snort.

“Well… if he’s okay with it,” Theo finally conceded, picking up a vial, and Sleipnir did the same, leaving three vials of the inoculation left.

“There isn’t enough for me,” Krosp noticed sounding both displeased and relived.

“Your body is based off of a cat correct,” Tarvek said. “I know that uplifted animals, ones that do not have human brains at any rate, are not capable of being wasped, at least not with the current wasps, and honestly I’m not sure what the Inoculation would do to you.”

“You also didn’t have enough ingredients,” Krosp noted after a moment.

“…That as well.” Tarvek admitted. He turned to Higgs, who had been glancing up at the ceiling, his brows furrowed just slightly. “And that leaves you… Mister Higgs was it?”

He looked back down and openly grimaced. “If I must,” he relented.

“Good—”

The shattering of glass stopped Tarvek cold and Zeetha glanced back around just in time to see the last of the glass shards of one of the vials of wasp inoculation hit the table and a small pebble skip across the floor.

“How?” Tarvek sputtered.

“There was a spider.”

Tarvek and Violetta jumped. “Who?” Tarvek sputtered again.

“The Castle,” Theo offered. “We’ve been fixing it all day.”

“Why?”

“To… help Agatha?” Theo answered slowly.

“No,” Tarvek motioned to the table, eyes wild and wide.

“Spiders are icky.” The Castle offered flippantly.

“Icky?” Tarvek breathed eyes wide. “Icky!”

“And also very poisons,” The Castle replied Conversationally. “It may be small but if it had fallen in it would have ruined your inoculation.”

“You _ruined it_ anyway!”

“Well _I’m_ sorry I haven’t regained full precision yet, it’s _not_ as _if_ I’m currently _highly_ damaged.”

“You idiotic collection of rubble! If I—”

“If you could _what?”_

Zeetha watched as Tarvek yelled into thin air and the Castle snarked back with a tone that could only be called amused. She tried to determine if it was reassuring or not that deep down Tarvek was just as Spark-like as any other Spark. She had certainly never seen him quite this enthralled by its grasp before. Maybe he was actually normal after all. Though on the other hand, when normal meant raving mad…

Everyone else was staying back but Zeetha walked over calmly. Either way she needed to stop him before he decided he needed to build something to destroy the Castle. Tarvek may have been madder than she had ever seen him, but it was nothing compared to her mother the rare times she worked herself up, and she’d been helping wrangle her since she was _nine._ This was nothing.

“Stop.” She ordered, grabbing his queue and pulling sharply. Tarvek turned eyes wide and teeth barred. Zeetha didn’t even blink. “Not time for this.”

He scowled. “You traitorous—”

Zeetha rolled her eyes. Of course. He was still hung up on that. “Stop.” She ordered again with another pull.

Tarvek sneered and Zeetha took a quick step to the side to avoid a dagger, her arm snapping up to clutch his wrist and twist. The dagger fell and skipped across the stone work. That was a bit much but she had trained with him enough to know he hadn’t been seriously trying to hit her. It was a warning. For now at least. She didn’t doubt he had more. She pulled at his wrist and spun him around. “Tarvek stop!” She snapped. “ _Agatha_! We. Don’t. Have. _Time_.”

He struggled for a second, but froze at Agatha’s name. After a moment he slumped and she dropped his arm and stepped away warily. He seemed to be done though, for the most part. Zeetha could still hear him breathe a few half-finished threats under his breath, but he had pulled off his spectacles and was rubbing at his eyes. A good sign that he had pulled himself back together.

“I never get that bad, right?” Theo asked in a whisper, unintentionally breaking the silence.

“Only when you’re _really_ drunk.”

“That… that was a joke right? … _Right?”_

Zeetha tuned them out and looked around only to catch gazes with Higgs. She paused when his eyes widened a fraction of an inch before he blinked. When they opened again he was looking back over at Tarvek, as if it had been complete chance he had been looking at her right then.

The tiny warriors fighting in her stomach made Zeetha pretty sure that was bull. She glanced away as well.

“I was worried for a moment, but he really _is_ a good choice.” The Castle exclaimed suddenly catching Zeetha’s attention. “His raving voice is quite good. I do hope it breeds true.”

Tarvek turned a few interesting colors and made a face before deciding it was best to just ignore it and turned back to glare sullenly over the broken vial. Zeetha grimaced and mentally noted to add a few more paragraphs to her apology.

Danger over Violetta walked over and picked up the discarded knife. She tried to hand it to Zeetha who waved it away1 and nearly handed it back to Tarvek before she hesitated.

“Is this one of my knives?”

Tarvek didn’t look her way. “It seems to be a similar model—” he tried.

Violetta wasn’t listening though. Too busy patting down specific parts of her body. “It is! I’m missing _three!_ But how?” She turned wide eyed to him “You always sucked at pickpocketing. When did _you_ get good?”

Tarvek shrugged. “You _were_ gone a good three years.”

“And he’s a big sneaky liar,” Zeetha added offhandedly, only to feel bad as Violetta’s eyes went wide and then her face fell. She had kind of assumed Violetta was aware of Tarvek underestimation scheme. Seemed not. Tarvek shot her a glare. Zeetha shrugged back at him. How was _she_ supposed to know, and it wasn’t as if him being a sneaky liar was _new._

“Have you’ve been—had you’ve been _faking_?”

Tarvek sighed. “I was just taking precautions for our safety.”

“Our?”

“Yes. _Our_. If people underestimated me they were less likely to _attack_ me, and such _you_. If people thought you were hot-headed and rash, which I’m not saying you’re _not_ , as well as in _incompetent_ , you could be assigned away from me and somewhere where you _wouldn’t_ be a Smoke Knight _or_ a target twenty-four seven, as well as got you out of Stumhulten _before_ you were _wasped_.” Tarvek snapped. “It wouldn’t have worked on someone with less of a rank than yours, but you mother’s blood gave me a chance and I _took_ it.” Violetta stared at him with wide eyes as Tarvek turned back to the vials. “But what are we going to do _now?”_

Theo scratched the back of his neck. “If Agatha can control the wasps, dose she really need the inoculation?” The group looked over to him and he grinned nervously. “I mean, since Aunt Lucrezia is the Other, and she took over her, and she’s capable of controlling the wasps… I kind of figured that was planned you know? So would she be capable of being wasped in the first place?”

Tarvek sighed. “You have a point, and it’s one I thought of, but with the chance that the Spark wasp may be soon mass produced I don’t want to risk being wrong and for her to be wasped during an attack. Because Lucrezia has her hives, she has her soldiers, she’s _here_ , so she has to have a plan of some _kind_.”

“But isn’t Agatha suppressing her somehow?” Sleipnir asked suddenly wary. She and Theo shared a look.

Tarvek waved his hand as he turned to pace away. “No, no, not that one. The _other_ Lucrezia.”

“There’s _two_ of them?” They yelped in sync.

Tarvek just off-handedly waved, to busy trying to think up another option. Zeetha shoved her hands into the coat’s pockets, noted Higgs didn’t looks surprised, and answered instead. “Yes. Maybe more. They took the machine that dose it.

Theo and Sleipnir looked a little ill. “Maybe they will fight?” Sleipnir offer after a moment.

Zeetha pursed her lips unconvinced. They had seemed really chummy back in Stumhulten but nodded anyway. “We can hope.”

The group fell into an uneasy silence and watched Tarvek pace. Just as Zeetha was about to break him out of it, there was no other option and they didn’t have time to be wasting it on this, Higgs spoke up from her side.

“I’ll not take it sir.”

The group started and turned to Higgs. He shrugged for once looking slightly uncomfortable, enough that they all could tell.

“I mean, I’m not important. Mister Gil just dragged me along to carry the hat. And once we leave he can always just send me away if your concerned, sir.”

Tarvek stared at him and then rubbed at his face. “You have a point…Mister Higgs was it?” At the Airman’s nod he sighed, corked the last two vials, wrapped them in some cloth, and hid them away in his coat. “At any rate we don’t have much of a choice.”

Zeetha caught a slight slump of relief in Higgs posture, she wasn’t the only one.

“Oh, don’t look so relived,” Tarvek rolled his eyes. “It’s not _that_ bad. And with any luck by the time we leave Dr. Sun will have mass produced enough inoculation to vaccinate you.”

He turned away and Zeetha caught the faintest flicker of concern in Higgs face before it was gone. She parsed her lips and pushed her hands into her pockets harder. She couldn’t help but wish they had come across Higgs before Agatha had left, just to be sure…

“Alright, you three take a seat,” Tarvek instructed gesturing over to a bench. “Just in case you fall.”

“Why would we fall,” Violetta asked sharply as she sat down.

“Just in _case_ ,” Tarvek emphasized. “Now the affects should be over within moments, a minute at most, and then it will be over and we can continue and find Agatha, or see what hopeless insanity that cad has found himself in.”

“A minute?”

“A high maximum. I did put effort in negating the side effects.”

Violetta made a face but seemed to have given up. The three shared uneasy glances and downed their vials as one.

For a moment Zeetha wondered if Tarvek had managed to negate all the side effects entirely.

And that’s when the glowing started. First with the eyes, glowing a purple so bright that their pupils were almost lost to it, and then more lightly spreading from the head down the spine and across the limbs.

They shook. Violetta’s hand snatched down to the lip of the bench and gripped so tight her hand went paper white, while at the same time she pulled her knees to her chest, pulling herself into the tightest ball she could.

Theo and Sleipnir on the other hand immediately reached for each other, their hands missing a few times as they shook.

“Not that bad, sir?” Higgs quipped as he stared at the three and their glowing eyes.

“Well,” Tarvek admitted. “It’s far better than it was for Zeetha and I.”

Higgs slowly glanced over to Zeetha who shudder. “Mind-melting,” was all she could manage.

True to Tarvek’s words it was done in less than a minute. The glow just stopped suddenly and they slumped, Theo and Sleipnir into each other and Violetta onto her knees, and stayed there for a long moment.

“I hate you Tarvek.” Violetta finally groaned as she slowly stretched out and blinked up at him.

“Hate me if you must, now you’ll stay wasp free.” Tarvek said lightly as he placed the back of his hand to her forehead. “How do you feel?”

Violetta pursed her lips and then finally admitted. “Not too bad. A little tired. My joints ache a little too.”

“And you two?”

“I’m alright,” Theo blinked. “I was a little lightheaded for a second but it’s already gone.”

“I actually feel kind of restless,” Sleipnir added with a frown. “I mean, I’m kind of tired but also restless.”

Tarvek moved to checking Violetta’s pulse but nodded happily. “Good, than I really did decrease the side effects affects.”

“You mean you weren’t _certain?”_

“Nothing is certain until you test it Violetta.” Tarvek rebuffed letting her wrist go. “And you three are fine. Good. We can move on to finding the others. I don’t suppose you have any idea where they may be.”

“No,” the Castle admitted before Zeetha had a chance too. “But… I may have an idea about where they may be heading… The power reserves have been decreasing at a rather alarming rate in the last twenty four hours and nothing has come to replace them…” It stopped sounding conflicted.

”So you’ve been running on stored power all this time?” Tarvek asked, sounding rather amazed. “It’s been two decades.”

“Well I haven’t exactly needed much in that time.” It paused for a long moment. “Relatively.”

“So you think Agatha will be heading to fix the power.”

“She would need to if she wants me back in shape.”

“And you can tell us where that would be?”

“Yesssssss,” The Castle stretched, once again sounding reluctant.

“You don’t want too,” Zeetha guessed. The heavy feeling was on her again, longer this time before fading away.

“The source of the Heterodynes power is a family secret.” The Castle admitted. “It’s urgent so I will, but I’m sure most of you will be needed to be killed later to assure the secrecy.”

“I’m sure Agatha would _love_ that,” Zeetha snarked.

“Oh, Really! You think so! That is _wonderful_ news.”

Zeetha opened her mouth to resort but closed it last second with a sigh.

 

“This is where I leave you,” The Castle said abruptly when they were halfway down a tightly swirling staircase that had been hidden by a secret door. “Or rather, where you leave I. My control and observation abilities stop here. I don’t know what lies beyond, but I presume there may be another fragment.”

“What‘s the chance this fragment is going to try and kill us?” Violetta asked tiredly, sounding as if there was a story behind her words. Zeetha couldn’t help but wonder what they had run into when they had been separated.

“Hmm, as the GMC is a high security area… I’d say very likely. So do be careful. I truly do what that—”

“Weather Vane fixed, we know,” Krosp sighed.

“Hmph, yes, and also many former Heterodynes generally preferred to _choose_ how people who learned too much died, far more entertaining that way. I wouldn’t want to ruin that for this supposed Lady of mine.”

“Thanks for the concern,” Tarvek grumbled.

“You’re very welcome.” The Castle replied cheerfully.

“Just tell us how to get there.”

“Just keep taking the stair case down, I _highly_ doubt you’ll lose your way.”

They continued their long trek down. As they did so Tarvek caught Zeetha’s eyes and made a few hand signs of his own. _That was… odd, correct?_ Was her translation of the mashed up signs.

Zeetha pressed her lips and nodded. “Yup.”

 

They walked a long way. Deep into the Castle and into the chewed away mountain it stood on. Not so far they were at the same levels as Mamma’s, or even the moat of course, but deep enough that it took a while to troop down the sharply curving stairs.

Zeetha noted as they got deeper the air got damper and chillier. It also got brighter for some reason, the incredibly old lights that dotted the inner wall slowly grew brighter the deeper they went. Zeetha figured that had something to do with being closer to the power source but didn’t really have the knowledge to back that up.

At least they wouldn’t be struggling through the dark she decided, though she kept her NOPET close.

Which was a good thing, since just as they turned a corner and a small arch came into view the lights on the inner wall disappeared, she still didn’t need her light though. An odd blue glow pulsed up from beyond the arch.

To her relief it wasn’t another set of glowing homicidal creatures, but actual glowing fungus. That relief only grew as she glanced across the truly enormous room to see Agatha step off a rickety and improvised elevator along with some others, of which included Gil but not Zola.

Tarvek groaned beside her. “ _Please_ tell me you killed her?” he asked, his voice just loud enough to echo across the room.

The other group turned to look at them but if they said anything Zeetha missed it as at the same time several archaic guns emerged from around the doorway. Zeetha, habitually, jumped back to cover the others.

“Castle!” Zeetha heard Agatha yell.

“Just some intruders, I’ll deal with them—”

“Castle STOP!”

“But…”

“I said, STOP!”

The guns slowly disengaged and folded back into the doorframe. The small hidden hatches closing leaving no sign they had ever been there.

“But _why_ …” The Castle whined when done. “The GMC is supposed to be a highly protected secret of the family.”

“And _I_ am the family at the moment and I say back off.” Agatha snipped back, as she walked over with Gil, and another man struggling to carry a large box of tools. Seeing the danger was lessened as much as it would Zeetha walked forward to meet her, allowing the back of the group, Krosp and Higgs in particular, to emerge into the cavern. It was huge, the ceiling that must be there was high enough to be lost to darkness, and the distance around from wall to wall was long enough to get an almost decent run in.

It was cluttered though, a large portion of it taken up by almost egg shaped devices connected together through wires, some, but only a few, glowing slightly. Batteries of some kind she hazard a guess, though they were different than the crystalline structures Skifander generally used.

Another section of it was taken up from what must have been the start of the river Dyne. A small waterfall reminiscent to the much taller one outside splashed down into a canal, of which a large water wheel baring symbols that felt almost familiar to her loomed over. It was broken though, an axle snapped and Zeetha could make the rather easy guess that was why the power was failing.

“And as they are _here_ ,” Agatha added with a glare to the group, Zeetha and Tarvek in particular, “They can help.”

“True.” The Castle agreed. “We do have much to do, of course most of them will have to be killed afterwards.”

“No one is dying unless I say so.” Agatha snapped.

“Of course you would get the choice of how it’s done.”

“ _Castle...”_

“Just shut up, _please_.”

“Hmph.”

Agatha rubbed at her eyes and sighed before glancing back up. She seemed about to say something only to be distracted and Theo walked over quickly.

“Agatha!” he yelped excitedly and offered a hug. Agatha accepted it looking surprised.

“Theo? Sleipnir? What are you doing here? How? _Why_?”

“I wanted to check on my baby cousin before I headed to find my father’s lab.” He replied stepping back. “And Sleipnir was nice enough to join me,” he sent her a charming grin that she returned as she linked an arm was his. Agatha looked even more bewildered. “Especially about hearing what happened in Stumhulten,” Theo added looking more serious. “And then we saved Gil from a bunch of Wulfenbach soldiers—” Agatha glanced over at Gil, still bewildered, and he could only shrug sheepishly. “So we followed him inside because no way we were going to sit this one out.”

“I—” She paused and shook her head, as if deciding against something, but then quirked and eyebrow as if unable to help herself. “What happened to your betrothal?”

Sleipnir grinned sheepishly. “I… may not have been as pleased as I pretended, and neither was he, plus with all the chaos on the castle and what Theo saw the Baron doing, I wasn’t as enthusiastic to accept a match made by him, you know… So Theo and I decided to elope…”

Agatha smiled slightly, “Well I’m happy for you two, can’t say I saw it coming, but I’m happy for you two.”

Theo laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “You’d be the only one, half of the hostages won money off us eloping, and the other was expecting it to happen after the marriage… even _Gil_ was in on it…”

Agatha laughed a little with them, but then turned away and caught Zeetha’s gaze. Her grin fell. Zeetha shifted.

“I told you to stay out,” Agatha said sourly but tiredly.

Zeetha shrugged. “You said to watch them.” She pointed to Gil and Tarvek. “And they wanted to be here. And you didn’t say we couldn’t come in after you, just not _with_ you.”

Agatha ignored her second point. “And you couldn’t stop them!”

Zeetha glanced dully at Tarvek, and then to Gil before settling on Agatha and giving a very suggestive shrug. She appreciated the faith, but she did not have anywhere near the power to stop these boys, or at least Gil, considering the Empire he had to back him up, and he wanted Tarvek with him.

“Hey, he was the one who dragged us in here!” Tarvek protested.

“Don’t lie.” Zeetha snapped. It wasn’t as if Tarvek hadn’t wanted to come in just as bad.

Gil looked as if he wanted to be smug but was too busy being insulted. “Hey! I tried to keep you outside.”

“You planned to drag me in from the start,” Tarvek reminded him with a dull glance. Gil jerked in remembrance.

“Yeah… well you would have been _fine_ ; you’re too much of a snake.”

Tarvek almost looked touched. Agatha did not.

“Gil, he’s _injured_.”

“Yeah right, don’t let him fool you, he’s fine, Mamma had this stuff that fixed injuries right up.”

“Actually Mamma wouldn’t let him have any,” Violetta butted in, taking a break to rest her neck from the constant swiveling.

“Really!” Gil looked surprised but it quickly became smug. “I guess you weren’t important enough.”

“More like I’m not stupid enough to get hurt as bad as you did” Tarvek’s said stiffly. “And that reminds me I need you and Agatha to drink these.” He pulled out the vials from whatever depth of his jacket he had squirreled it away.

“…Do you think I’m that stupid?”

“It’s the Wasp Inoculation.”

 “Yeah… I’m going to wait for a _real_ doctor’s version, thanks.”

“I _am_ a real doctor!”

“ _Really_? Because I remember you leaving Paris not even all the way through your first year.”

“I was tutored—“

“So a completely uncredited doctor then.”

“For the love of… look, the risk of you being susceptible to wasps—”

“Is far less than taking it from _you._ ”

Zeetha pulled her attention from the bickering two to pinch her nose and attempt to force back her headache. Light footsteps from her side caught it instead and she looked up to see Agatha had apparently had enough of them as well and done the same.

Agatha looked exhausted, Zeetha noted with concern as she made her way to her side. She leaned against one of the near drained batteries, ignoring the boys bickering, and as Zeetha watched she reached up to rub at her eyes with the palms of her hands. She looked miserable. Agatha’s shirt, despite being adorned with what looked like several different varieties of small death rays, rode up slightly, but it was what Zeetha saw underneath that made her blood run cold.

Bruises. Bruises in the vague shape of finger marks adorned just above her hips like a gruesome badge. Zeetha froze for a long second, hesitating because she knew she wouldn’t have wanted to be asked, but this was her Zumil, her charge, her responsibility.

She stepped closer and didn’t put her hand on her. “Agatha?” She started softly.

“Hmm,” Agatha murmured as she pulled her hands away to look up wearily. Zeetha struggled to find the words, but eventually surrendered and just glanced down. Agatha blinked and then followed her gaze to her still showing bruises.

Agatha jolted. On instinct her hand covered the bruise and she looked up a little wild eyes. Zeetha rose her hand is surrender in response, taking a slight step back to give her a little more space and inconspicuously glanced around her. Nobody seemed to have noticed yet. Good. The last thing Agatha needed was the boys to notice and make a huge and loud mess.

She turned back to Agatha to find her more embarrassed than anything. Her shirt was fixed, but her tightly held hands on her lap exposed her anxiety, or at least it did to Zeetha. She refused to meet her eyes.

“If you wish,” Zeetha started slowly after she was sure Agatha had nothing to say. “What happened?”

Agatha was silent. Zeetha waited. For an explanation or a no, whichever Agatha preferred.

 “You were right,” Agatha finally admitted. Zeetha tilted her head, confused. “I can’t fight. I… can’t dodge.” Zeetha could just notice that one of Agatha’s shoulders tightened at that admission, which drew her eye to the fact that the arm was thicker than before. Her brows furrowed more in concern.

“I…” Agatha continued. “When I first entered, there was a man waiting to steal from the supplies. He said some…things to me too…told me…” her eyes drifted back down and Zeetha fought to keep the scowl off her face. “I couldn’t do anything to him, I tried a punch and it did nothing, if it hadn’t been for Sanna he would have… done a lot.”

Zeetha struggled to find something to say, or rather to say the something she had, but Agatha rushed onward, her hands flying out as she gestured. “And— _and_ my old professor was _here_ , and he had this giant _clank_ , and it shot _electricity_.” Zeetha winced half in empathy, half in disgust by the fact she was relived she hadn’t been there. “… and—and, I was too slow. They didn’t hit me full on but a lot of them…” She grasped her arm, the one Zeetha had noted was thicker than the other under the sleeve, but Agatha glanced down to her leg as well. “If it hadn’t been for Gil…And the Castle coming online right then…”

The anger that bubbled inside of Zeetha was almost painful, and she rubbed her hands together furiously to stop herself from pacing off. With a deep breath she calmed her words if nothing else. “We train after this,” She stated to the vulnerable girl in front of her who still wouldn’t look her in the eye.

Zeetha hesitated, but then carefully reached down to put a finger under Agatha’s chin. When she didn’t flinch away she gently pushed her head up to meet Zeetha’s eye. “So it doesn’t happen again.” With that she booped Agatha on the nose, Agatha going cross-eyed as she did so, and shared a weak smile. Agatha managed one back, looking a little confused, but reassured as well. Somewhere inside of Zeetha, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Their smiles dropped as the raised voices got to loud to ignore. Zeetha groaned and rubbed at her eyes while Agatha’s face pinched.

“Would you just take it already?”

“I’ll take some latter, some _Dr. Sun_ made.”

“Oh for crying out loud, I’m not trying to _poison_ you. Everyone else took it and are fine, I’m just trying to assure the _other_ head of the Empire isn’t also wasped!”

“Why are you pushing this so hard? Why did you stop and make it at all with Dr. Sun on the job. What do you _know_!”

“Nothing! I know _nothing!_ That’s the problem! I have no _idea_ what she’s planning, what she’s capable of! I’m being _cautious_. Something you wouldn’t recognize if it blew a _hole_ through your shoulder.”

“Was that a _threat!”_

“You know what, give me it,” Agatha snapped stomping back over to the two and reaching out or a hand. Tarvek handed one of the vials over obediently. “ _I’ll_ take it.”

“But Agatha—” Gil panicked.

Agatha ignored him, uncorked the vial and gulped the tiny amount down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to go on hiatus after this chapter since going in groups of eight appealed to me, but then I realized just how I ended it and felt bad, so next week a chapter will definitely go up, and then depending on how much work done I get in the next week I will either post every other week (On Wednesday) or go on hiatus for however long I need. We'll see.
> 
> I hope everyone is enjoying so far!


	17. In Which Zeetha fights nearly everyone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologies, but this chapter mark's a hiatus while I try and compel myself to finish writing the last few chapters (4/5 left, one almost done). The hiatus shouldn't be to long, especially since not posting anything will freak me out and push me forward, and as something of a precaution, if for whatever reason I haven't finished in a month or so, I do have one chapter ready in the back to post up to limit really long delays without anything posted.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

“See Gil, I’m fine—” Agatha choked mid-word as her eyes flashed purple and her legs bucked. Zeetha, having expected this, caught her easily.

“What’s wrong with her? What did you _do!”_

“Nothing, it’s just the side effects; it will be over in a moment.”

“You call _those_ just _side_ effects!”

“You don’t?”

Gil didn’t take that well. Not as all. And later on Zeetha couldn’t remember if the curses she had let out as she watched his face morph into a snarl had been in Skiff, Romanian, or something else entirely. Tarvek, for all of his paranoia and boasts on his intelligence, had turned away in a huff with his comment and was oblivious. Violetta did see the change, but her last second tackle of Tarvek just meant both of them were sprawled out on the ground helpless.

Zeetha all but threw Agatha into Theo’s arms and bolted, finding it much more useful to slam into Gil himself and send them flying away. He snarled and shook under her attempted pin, and she snarled back. Something deep in her called to her, to just let go and start smashing his head into the stonework. She almost rebelled from it but Gil got some leverage and flipped the pin.

Fear added to anger and whatever control she had left departed. Later all she could remember was flashes of color, of grapples and punches, of pulling at hair and biting at skin.

She heard but didn’t comprehend Agatha’s pained shout of “Somebody shut them up!”

She heard but didn’t comprehend the answering crackle, “as you wish… _Mistress_.”

The metal claws at her throat though, ripping her away from her enemy only to smack them together before throwing them in two different directions, she did comprehend, and thankfully the impact jarred the right screws lose and she blinked back into rationality just in time to watch Gil snarl and dodge some kind of winged clank.

Zeetha shook her head as Tarvek yelled “Otilia!” from… wherever he was and a hand grabbed her arm. Instinct had her lashing out with an elbow before she recognized it was just Higgs. He seems unaffected by her strike and in her fuzziness she couldn’t tell if she had just missed or if she should be suspicious. She let him help her up. Her head was fuzzy, her body ached from a few bruises and she couldn’t help but glance down at where her arm bled sluggishly. He had sharp teeth she noted before she shook her head and tried to refocus. The fight wasn’t over, and this time it was the other idiot she had to worry about.

Especially as he was fighting as dumb and feral as she had been. She shrugged off Higgs hold and groaned internally as Tarvek ran up to the fighting pair.

“STOP!” He yelled, stepping in front of a downed Gil. “I am Prince Tarvek of the house of Sturmvoraus. I am the direct descendent of Andronicus Valois and heir to the lightning throne. I _am_ the Storm King and you were created to serve _me!_ ”

A muse then, Zeetha reasoned just as Tarvek was kicked away from her into and cracking the side of a thankfully empty battery.  He collapsed next to the other man that Agatha had come down with and stayed down, one arm wound around his chest.

Or not. Something was wrong. Tinka had been almost disturbingly loyal to Tarvek just because of his name, and Moxina had seemed to be the same though it was harder to tell with her. Despite general convection, that probably _should_ have worked.

The clank approached the fallen Prince. The man tried to pull him up but ended up trying to hide behind him instead. Violetta rushed over but would only get there in time to be another victim. Zeetha cursed and bolted again, leaping and smashing her heal into the clanks head. The wig flew off as she crashed to the ground. Zeetha grit her teeth and drew her swords.

“Where is Lucrezia?” The clank asked as she rose. “Where is Lord Heterodyne?”

“There is no Lord Heterodyne,” Zeetha snipped back as Higgs circled around her to help the man drag Tarvek away. Violetta stayed behind her despite looking reluctant. Zeetha appreciated the support. “There is _Lady_ Heterodyne. She sounds like her mother, but isn’t. Lucrezia is not _here._ And _we_ won’t let her _be_!”

That seemed to still the clank for a second. “Lady Heterodyne…”she murmured. “Then the old Lord is dead?”

“Ah—” Zeetha was pretty sure he was still classified as missing but that seemed like it would complicate matters. “Yes.”

“And his brother?”

“Also gone.”

“NO!”

Zeetha winced at the pain in the clank’s voice, even as she was confused. Why would a muse be devastated to learn the Heterodyne family was nearly gone? That went against all Tarvek had ever told her, and that was a _lot_ to go against.

“…The last of the family,” She muttered to herself, staring at the floor before whipping her head up and close to Zeetha’s. “And you are _sure_ she is a true Heterodyne!”

Zeetha nodded. “The Castle accepted her.”

With a snap the hostility was back. “Oh _no_ it hasn’t,” she hissed. “Bring me to her at once. I will judge her worth.”

Zeetha frowned. “Tarvek called you Otilia” She answered. “But you’re not. Who are you?”

The clank smirked, something Zeetha had never seen Tinka do. “You are correct. I am not one of your Master’s pretty little muses. Even trapped in this miserable shell, I AM CASTLE HETEORDYNE!”

“LIES!” A voice boomed from the stone itself, the entire chamber shaking. Even the MuseCastle looked surprised. “I AM CASTLE HETERODYNE! INTRUDER!—”

The MuseCastle glanced down looking a little concerned. “Where is the L-lady?” It demanded.

Zeetha sighed. “She’s right there.” Zeetha pointed over only to freeze.

“YES! I’M FREE! YOU STUPID WORMS WILL ALL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO ME! I WILL SEE TO IT THAT YOU ALL— where are we?”

“The Castle called it the Great Movement Chamber?” Theo answered with confusion, a locket in his hand. “Are you all right Agatha? You knew that—”

Agatha bolted for the elevator.

“You took off the locket!” Gil, who had just been getting to his feet looking ruffled and dazed, snapped.

“It looked tight! I wanted to make sure she could breathe okay…”

“The locket is what makes her, her!”

“…Why didn’t anyone _tell_ me _that_?”

That, Zeetha admitted internally, was a very good question and a horrible oversight on her part. She just hoped it wouldn’t end up being a deadly one.

“Lucrezia…” The MuseCastle all but breathed before it turned back to Zeetha and swiped at her. Zeetha just barely dodged. “L-l-liar!” It shouted. “S-situational dissidence had exceeded operation p-procedures. Fall back to procedure: kill everyone, Master will sort out remains!”

She didn’t have time for this and dived under another swing, sheathed her swords in a quick motion, and dashed after Lucrezia. “Higgs! Clank!”

Zeetha caught up fast, Agatha couldn’t run to save her life as far as Zeetha was concerned, and she attempted to tackle the huffing woman down just before she made it to the stairs. Lucrezia threw her shoulder in a half effective throw, but Zeetha followed the momentum and turned, catching Lucrezia in a very careful punch. She fell like a stone.

“Wow.” Violetta breathed as she approached collar in hand. Zeetha knelt down to check on her only to wince as the Castle fragment grew only louder

“—DECEVIER! LIAR! TRAITORS! _GUARDIANS ACTIVATE!_ ”

A humming that had only became noticeable as it started to falter suddenly stopped, and the dim light the last few batteries had been giving off flicked and nearly went completely out. From shadows and other easily missed places, statues once unnoticed eyes lit up blue, and then rumbled as they pulled from their place.

“Niame wana,” Zeetha breathed at the familiar sight. Then her eyes went wide as she noticed that half of them were coming straight at her.

“TRAITORS! ATTACKING THE HETERODYNE! ATTACKING THE HETERODYNE’S CONSORT!”

Zeetha distanced herself from Agatha. The Castle had gone completely mad and she couldn’t risk it killing her despite itself, only to have to roll forward as several snuck up behind her. They were too quiet. Too familiar… which maybe she could use.

Zeetha jumped and kicked under the chin guard of one of the statues. Her foot cried out in pain but the helmet shaped head flew off, cracking as it hit the stone below. For a second the statue froze and Zeetha thought she may be right, that these niawa were just like the ones at home, still alive with no head, but with no senses to act upon.

Then it grabbed her.

The Castle’s was controlling them to strongly she realized as she choked, kicking out but failing to land a hit do to the oversized arms. Her eyes went wide as her collar’s meddling failsafe activated from the pressure. She tried to shout but couldn’t.

“I got you!” Gil shouted and suddenly Zeetha was flying through the air. She slammed down onto her shoulder and skidded until she was back to Agatha. She coughed twice and rubbed her neck. “We need,” she breathed to Violeta who was perched over Agatha like a cat. “A-agatha to call off. Do you—”

“I have some smelling salts.” Violetta said nervously. “But I don’t know if they will work—”

“Try it,” Zeetha yelped and jumped back in. Gil had been pulled off the back of one of the Guardians by another and was struggling to get out of the grapple.

“T-T-TRATIOROUS CONSORT! T-T-TRATIORS EVERYWEHRE! K-KILL EVERYONE! THE L-L-LADY CAN BRING YOU B-B-BACK IF SHE W-W-WISHES TO T-T-TORTURE YOU FOR YOUR D-D-DISOBEDENICE!”

Zeetha again leapt and kicked the one holding Gil helmet off. It froze for only a brief second, but it was long enough for Gil to pull himself free. The two circled back to back as they were quickly surrounded.

“I don’t suppose you have any ideas,” Gil asked. Zeetha pressed her lips together and shrugged.

“Made of strong stone, swords are useless. Castle is controlling them so knocking heads off only cause brief stop. Filling the runes probably, but with what?”

“…What are you talking about?” Gil asked even as he rolled out from a grab. They were surprisingly stealthy perhaps, but rather slow, at least compared to them. They could probably dodge them for a while easily, but their stamina wouldn’t hold out forever. “What runes? How do you know this stuff?”

“They are hollow, or should be, small tubes with runes. Fill the runes it won’t work.”

“Fill them with what?”

“Sand? Water?”

“Where are we supposed to get sand?” Gil snapped. “And the water is ten feet down and liable to kill us if we touch a fraction of it.”

Deadly water, great, another thing to keep in mind. “I _did_ say with _what_!” Frustration crawled up her spine and Zeetha would have sworn that the statues were getting slower, almost as if they were running out of stamina themselves despite the impossibility.

“Then why are you wasting time,” Gil snarled, hopping over a Guardian instead of rolling away. His foot just barely missed being grabbed.

Zeetha’s eyes narrowed and she grit her teeth. She turned to face Gil and scowled. “Doing more than _you.”_

“I saved your life!”

“I saved yours—gawk!” Zeetha yelped as a hand grabbed her wrist from behind and lifted her right off the floor. Nearby she heard Gil let out his own shout of surprise.

In the distance Zeetha heard Higgs shout, “Stop this!” As she fought to free her arm she managed to swing, and for a brief moment look his way. He was closer than before, having left the MuseCastle, which was on the ground beheaded, but he had been blocked off by several Guardians. She caught the slightest gimps as he dodged the grasp of one before he was out of sight.

“L-l-l-let-t-ts d-do s-somet-t-d-dink f-un,” The Castle fragments stuttered, its voice having gone monotone. The Guardians began moving. Zeetha swung with each step and gritted her teeth as her wrist popped painfully. “W-v-vould-d-d hyu l-loke a d-d-d-dip?”

They were approaching the waterfall Zeetha realized after a moment. The one with the deadly water Gil had mentioned. She swung and attempted to grasp the hand holding her up and just barely managed. Her wrist popped again and she hissed but kicked up her leg to get it over the Guardian’s shoulder.

Another Guardian came up behind her and grabbed her leg. She snarled and kicked back uselessly. A glimpse showed her Gil had been pinned by three. They were getting closer. The water was roaring in her ears.

“B-b-b-b-be s-s-s-so m-m-ch f-fun—”

“I don’t think so. Your fun is over,” Agatha suddenly snapped from a distance.

“B-b-but L-lad-d-dy—”

“No.”

The Castle screamed. Or at least that was the only way Zeetha could describe it. Horrible heart-wrenching sound radiated from every stone block and wooden plank. It cut off suddenly and finally, leaving nothing but a heavy silence and a void in the back of Zeetha’s perception she hadn’t realized had been filled.

The Guardians froze. After a long moment of silence Zeetha kicked her leg free and then pulled herself up to fandangle her wrist loose. She dropped to the ground and cradled her wrist and rolled her aching shoulder.

“ _Please_ tell me you didn’t do what I think you did,” Gil pleaded as he dropped next to her rubbing at one of his own shoulders, his shirt all but torn to shreds.

“Would you have preferred being thrown into the _dyne?”_

“The Castle was the only thing keeping my father’s men from marching in here.” He rubbed at his face for a moment but the straightened, looking serious.

“With as much power it just used up I don’t think that it matters.” Agatha corrected, glancing over at the batteries. They were all but dark.

“Look, can you just come with me, _please_ —”

“I _told_ you already Gil, I’m not going with you, not until I have some power on my own.”

“ _What_ power, you just _killed_ the Castle,” Gil snapped. “And what for, to make yourself a bigger _threat?”_

“To make myself someone who can’t just _disappear_ without anyone noticing,” Agatha snapped back. “To make sure people _care_ if I vanish—”

“ _I_ would care!”

Agatha froze, and then turned fully to him, her face was set but her voice softened a tad. “That’s very sweet of you Gil… but at the end of the day, how much dose that _really_ matter.” She turned away from him but Zeetha could still see her face enough to see her worry her lip. “I’m _here_ because my parents _told_ me to come here. They were terrified of the Baron, their old _friend_. I don’t know why, but I do know…” She turned back to Gil. “That I trust them a lot more than I trust you.”

Gil looked wounded, though Zeetha couldn’t see why he was so surprised, and didn’t respond right away. Agatha continued on.

“So I _will_ come with you, but not until I have some power, not until I have some chance to work this out, if not as equals than at _least_ as someone he _can’t_ just _kidnap_ and do what he _wants_ too.”

“You’re still… upset about that,” Gil asked after a moment looking a bit ashamed.

“Being kidnapped would do that to a person,” Agatha huffed. “I think I have the right to be upset I was _used_ as a _hostage_.”

“Is it _really_ that bad, I mean everyone else seemed fine—”

“YES!”

Gil flinched back the shame never leaving his face. He scratched at the back of his neck. “Alright then. I’m sorry that happened to you, I really am, I guess I never really saw it that way before…” He trailed off awkwardly for a moment, before something inside of his switched and his features were set again. “But Agatha, you _killed_ your Castle, My father’s men are probably already on the way in and you would have a lot more chance if I bring you in to influence things than if they do. And let’s be frank here, you are a danger, you lost control just moments ago.”

“Because someone took the locket off—”

“I’m sorry I didn’t know,” Theo, who had quietly made his way over and had been listening to the conversation with some alarm, blurted.

“And that just it: someone getting to you while you’re asleep, even innocently, a broken chain, the lock snapping, that’s all it would take for it to fail, completely. It’s _not_ enough, Agatha!”

“If you want to solder the lock shut, or add more support to the chain, be my guest,” Agatha countered. “I’d feel better that way myself, and I’m sure we can find plenty of materials to use around here.”

“That’s not the _point_ Agatha, my father is never going to accept that. We _need_ something _better_.” He threw his arms up into the air. “He’s in a healing engine right now, Agatha; it will be several _days_ before he’s out. I’m in _charge_. If you leave the Castle for now, and come back I’m sure between you, me and Sturmvoraus we can figure something out that my father will accept. We _have_ too.”

Zeetha could hear the tinge of panic in his voice. She could all but feel the stress rolling off of him, but she could also see a dangerous delusion, one that seemed even more so as Agatha paused, considering.

She stood up fully, carefully cradling her arm.

“Are you really?”

Gil blinked and looked over to Zeetha.

“Are you really?” She asked again.

“What?”

“You are being hunted to be dragged back to the ship,” Zeetha reminded him solemnly. “Are you _really_ in charge. Will they listen to _you?_  When your father awakes will he listen to _you_? Will he _care?_ Can you _really_ guarantee _this_?”

Gil looked rather stunned, frozen as he stared at her only to then glacially turn his head to the ground. “I…”

“He can’t let me take control for one moment. He refuses to believe he’s ever wrong.” Zeetha quoted off the top of her head.

Gil remained quiet, which allowed Zeetha to hear the slow footsteps of the others coming up from behind. Finally he asked, “What other option do we have?” Zeetha eyed him and noted the difference in tone. It wasn’t a statement now, but a question.

Agatha’s face had softened immensely though Gil couldn’t see it and she stepped forward to place a hand on his shoulder. She turned to look at the others, her face softening even more while also pinching in concern. Tarvek leaned heavily against Violetta and Sleipnir, some light blood on his shirt which bulged where more bandaging had been placed. He was doing his best to try and look as fine as possible but that wasn’t exactly a high reach at the moment. Zeetha almost wished Mamma had given him the draught.

“We restore the Castle, and we figure all that out _here_.” Agatha decided. “You’re right, I need something more than this locket, and your right the three of us can figure this out, we just have to do it safe in here while your father recovers _instead_ of out there.”

“And how do you plan on doing that?” Gil asked, tearing away from his own stare at Tarvek. Zeetha imagined he thought his worry was well hidden, perhaps even from himself.

Agatha looked back at Gil. “When we were working upstairs I started to get the suspicion that the only way we were going to fully fix the Castle, at least in any kind of decent timeframe, would be to shut it all down and respark it with one mind. But I wasn’t sure how to do that before, but… now, I have an idea.”

“Which is? The lion should have killed all the fragments?”

“By using that,” Agatha pointed at Higgs, or more accurately, at the muse he was holding, now little more than an arm and head.

“…Is that a muse?” Gil asked, his jaw dropping slightly. “Where did it come from? What happened to it?”

“You don’t—” Agatha stopped herself and shook her head. “It’s not the muse, or at least not her mind. Instead it has a copy of the Castle consciousness inside of it.”

She took a step forward and presented herself to the head. “Correct?”

The head let out some static. “Y-y-you are Lu-lu-lucrez-z-zia.” It demanded. Agatha sighed.

“I am Agatha Heterodyne,” Agatha drawled tiredly. “Daughter of Bill and Lucrezia Heterodyne. Mother just visits.”

“Y-y-you will pr-pr-prove th-this.”

Agatha gritted her teeth. “And how exactly do you want me to do that?”

Zeetha turned away as the two argued in circles. Her wrist throbbed, her shoulder ached, her neck burned, and her head pounded. On top of it all she felt rather stupid. Most of her injuries were directly her fault, she was the one who had fallen into childish arguments and distracted herself while fighting.

It didn’t help that there was still a buzzing in the back of her mind. The only conclusion she could think of was that it was the draught affecting her. That would explain Gil’s actions as well as she doubted he normally was so stupid either. But why was it coming out now? It had been over a day since she last took any. Why now?

Rubbing at her head with her good hand Zeetha spotted one of the Guardian’s helmets on the ground nearby. She approached it slowly and crouched down to turn it up right. Unknown symbols in clusters and patterns decorated the inside. Unknown to her, but the process wildly familiar.

Zeetha tried to conceptualize what that may mean. From her experiences Sparks isolated from each may solve the same problem but they would do it in vastly different ways, for something so complex to be done so similarly…

The statues, feminine but highly abstract, the symbols different but oddly familiar…

“YES I AM!” Agatha snapped causing Zeetha to jump. Days of stress, frustration and a little bit of desperation dripped from each word. Zeetha watched in concern as Agatha began losing her patience. Zeetha couldn’t blame her. Agatha was having a harder day than she was, and this was the fifth time in the last two days she’s had to fight for her identity. Zeetha knew a little of how _that_ was like. She was proud Agatha had made it this far.

Tarvek’s hand on her shoulder drew Zeetha’s attention away from Agatha and her increasingly loud declarations that, “Yes! She _was_ the HETERODYNE,” and instead to him. She stood and looked at him warily, not entirely sure if they were still arguing or not.

“The Airman that Gil brought, something isn’t right about him,” he muttered into her ear. Zeetha glanced back at him with a raised brow, she could have told him that. He wasn’t looking at her. Following his gaze her eyes landed on a vaguely person shaped collection of cracks in the stone wall of the cave. She frowned. “Keep an eye on him.”

Zeetha nodded and Tarvek backed away, stumbling slightly and forcing Violetta to catch him again. She looked back at Zeetha, lips pursed, curious.

“If I drink from the Dyne! Will _that_ prove it to you?”

Everyone jumped, heads whipping to the steaming, but now very resolved Agatha.

“Agatha what are you—” Gil started.

“That would be… acceptable.” The MuseCastle responded after a moment of its own surprised silence. It seemed thoughtful. “In-in-in fact, if you a-are th-the Heterodyne, it may g-g-give you th-th-the strength-th-th you need to survive the d-d-destructio-n-n of my-my-myself q-q-quickly.” Agatha grit her teeth and turned on her heel, walking away. Higgs watched her go, seemingly unconcerned. Gil dashed to stop her. Tarvek pushed away Violetta to do the same with a bit more difficulty.

Zeetha followed, vaguely concerned, but Tarvek’s advice nagged at her.

It wasn’t a hard bit of advice to follow considering she had already been keeping an eye on him. Ever since he walked through a bar brawl without taking a single strike, there had been something off about him. And then there was the fact, unlike everyone else, he hadn’t reacted to Gil’s attempt to blow up Castle Heterodyne’s gate, the fight with the squid, and now this.

It was a good thing he wasn’t bad to look at in an untraditional way of—

Zeetha paused mid-thought and mid-step and shook her head. That was _not_ the right kind of keeping an eye on him.

The proper way of keeping an eye on him would be to note that he had mostly avoided fighting thus far, but she knew he knew how, that he was good from the brief glimpse she had caught, and that his apparent fighting ability was far better than he had implied.

Far better…rather impressive actually, hmm.

“Are you coming,” Higgs asked coming up from behind her. Zeetha startled, a heat coming up her neck.

She had to hope that whatever mystery he was hiding wasn’t mind reading.

“Yeah.” She nodded, following him back to the group, which had stalled, Gil and Tarvek gamely trying to block Agatha’s way.

“I am _seriously_ doubting your ability to make choices for yourself.” Gil tried. “It told us that water _kills_ people, Agatha.”

“It didn’t kill Ht’rok-din.”

“One person verses hundreds?” Tarvek added. “Not to mention Ht’rok-din reined almost a _thousand_ years ago, that’s practically the time of legend, who’s to say he actually survived or at least survived without serious side effects? His son could have taken up his name, or actual dates were forgotten. The Storm King only reigned two hundred years ago, and do you _know_ how much false myth exists about him?”

“Yeah.” Gil agreed. The two stood side by side and stared at her with matching expressions and stiff spines. Agatha walked past them and towards a ramp that lead up to where the waterfall came from. The boy’s faces dropped briefly before they rushed with the others to keep up with her.

“Ht’rok-din w-wasn’t the only one to d-d-drink the w-water and survive.” The Castle corrected. “M-many Heterodynes over th-the years have t-taken the w-water.”

“And how many of them survived?”

“83.667 % of-of-of all known att-attempts,” The Castle stated proudly. “Wh-which is a significant margin c-c-compared to the average p-person’s attempt of survival b-being a p-predicted .47%. And it h-has only g-gone up as generations p-passed.”

” _Agatha?”_ Gil tried panicky

“The odds are in my favor.” Agatha deflected briskly.

“ _Any_ odds of you _dying_ is _not_ in your favor!” Tarvek cried somewhat hysterically.

Zeetha frowned and caught up with Agatha, pulling briskly at her sleeve. Agatha stopped and turned to her, her face determined though Zeetha could catch the slightest bit of fear. “Zeetha I—”

“You are _sure?”_ Zeetha demanded slowly, catching and trapping Agatha’s eyes. Agatha hesitated and nodded. Zeetha nodded back and let her go.

“Zeetha!” Tarvek and Gil cried at her acceptance. Zeetha refused to look back at them.

“This is _my_ choice and _I’m_ making it,” Agatha snapped at the boys. They both froze and glanced at each other, but sullenly remained silent.

Agatha took a deep breath and crossed the top of the ramp, bringing into view the source of the Dyne. A small spring, half surrounded with an odd stone formation, almost like a part of a broken eggshell. Zeetha stared at it and couldn’t help but wonder where the water came from. They were high up in the belly of a rather narrow mountain, and yet the river rushed on as if it had a sea feeding it.

Theo, looking as nervous as Agatha likely felt, handed her a small metal cup from his bag. His and Agatha’s hands brushed briefly and they stopped to share a quick word that Zeetha couldn’t hear over the rush of the water.

Agatha took the cup and carefully filled it using a dusty extendable ladle that had been waiting against the side of the formation. She paused long enough to turn around and catch the eye of everyone and then gulped it down before anyone could attempt another protest.

Nothing happened.

“It… didn’t do anything.”

“Oh thank God,” Tarvek muttered.

“Maybe it’s all a myth, a hoax,” Gil tried, looking so relived he could faint.

“Oh, it’s n-no hoax,” The Castle replied. “Th-though on occasion th-there have b-been such boring r-reactions, I w-would not yet say be d-d-disappointed. I do suggest w-walking away from the edge th-though.”

“W-what?” Agatha asked, sounding just off and lost enough to catch Zeetha’s attention. Zeetha watched as Higgs reached forward to pull her away. As Agatha stared out into the distance, her eyes widening and a maniacal grin slid into place. “Ev-Everything makes so much sense—” She breathed as she watched things they couldn’t see. She began to lean heavily to one side.

“Yesss—Now we adddddd th-the next st-st-step,” The Castle grinned and without warning reached up with its barely attached arm to grab ahold of Agatha.

Zeetha jumped back with a wince. Gil and Tarvek yelled out together before falling suddenly silent. Disgust filled her as Agatha, her _Zumil_ , was electrocuted and all she could do was look away. Her hands trembled. She bared her teeth at the ground even as her breath stuttered. She missed what happened next and by the time she found the ability to look back she nearly choked at what she saw.

Agatha was hovering, blue light, that just made Zeetha’s trembles worse, held her aloft, dripping from her every pore. Her eyes glowed gold, euphoria written across her face.

“A-agatha—” Tarvek stuttered. “Are you… _okay_?”

“Okay? I am _perfect_!” She rang, her voice echoing in a way that was just not natural. Staring wildly out into a world only she could see. “I am an External moment of Supreme Clarity! I can do Anything! I have so many Ideas I want to try! This is so _Exciting_!”

For a second her smile dropped. It returned but she looked down at her hands and Zeetha was suddenly made aware of how they seemed to be blurring, a strange mix of fading out and duplicating. “This form is unstable.” She mussed offhandedly. Zeetha could feel her own breath catch in time with the boys. “For this clarity, for this euphoria it is worth it—”

“Agatha!” Gil yelled at her. She started.

Zeetha seeing this glanced between the two of them once before shouting out, “Zumil!” Something in Agatha seemed to snap to focus and she looked down at them for the first time and seemed to actually _see_ them. Zeetha winced as a rush of power swamped over her, leaving her ears ringing and her hair on edge. The light that clung to Agatha flew out through the cavern and returned with wires and other old mechanical parts. They cycloned around her like she was an eye in a storm.

“To close,” She muttered her head tilting to the side. “To close.” She muttered again, her body shimmering even more, her outline collapsing in on itself. “This moment of clarity—

Having had her mind melted before, Zeetha certainly hadn’t wanted, nor thought she would ever, go through it again. Apparently Agatha disagreed and with a flick of her hands, the wires that had been swirling around her shot at Zeetha and some of the others. It struck her, digging into her flesh. The swirling blue light that made her so uneasy speeding down the new connection, hitting her at once.

“—Is _not_ worth your _deaths!_ ”

And then, there was nothing but mind melting brightness.

Then ringing and darkness.

And finally, groaning and light.

Zeetha opened her eyes and then regretfully blinked rapidly. Her ear’s ringing echoed through her head and she didn’t want to lose another sense, but oh, was it _bright_.

A couple more blinks reminded her it wasn’t actually bright. The only light up here was the Dyne, which was behind her and let out just enough light to cast deep shadows across the walls and mess with her night vision.

Zeetha took the fact that the extra light Agatha had been generating was gone as a good sign, up until she realized that didn’t mean Agatha was fine, or even alive.

Kolee duty finally forced her to a sitting position and she attempted a glance around the ledge with a sad flop of her head.

Agatha was standing. That was good. She was talking to Higgs, or rather to the head and arm he still carried. She looked good. Energized even. Was setting her weight evenly across both legs, the analytical part of her mind that seemed to be the only part of her fully awake noted tiredly. As if it didn’t hurt anymore.

Zeetha’s neck didn’t hurt either. Or her shoulder. Or her wrist. Though at the moment Zeetha could barely say she had a body, it certainty didn’t feel like hers. Moving it was such a chore. She was surprised she had managed to sit.

That should probably bother her more than it did.

Gil, Tarvek and, with some dull surprise on Zeetha’s part, Violetta seemed to have been caught in the same blast she had been, as they laid in varying levels of pulling themselves up into a semi-decent position. Tarvek seemed distracted slowly patting his chest as if confused, while Gil stared somewhat blankly at Agatha as she talked with some rather excited arm movements with the Castle.

“What was that?” Gil suddenly blinked and woke. Zeetha blinked and realized she could hear again. “I feel… I feel… I feel _great!_ ”

“Feel…” As if a candle lit Zeetha suddenly felt it too, though she wasn’t sure she would call it _great_. She grit her teeth as conflicting emotions and feelings hit her at once, confusing her brain and paralyzing her.

Vaguely she realized her hands were trembling, the same invisible tremble. She wasn’t sure that was actually new.

She didn’t hurt though, that was a plus… probably.

“The Dyne water was going to cause me to explode… implode…both…? Um, and you all would have been in the blast radius and I…” Suddenly Agatha seemed rather sheepish. “My mind rationalized that I needed to get rid of the energy, so sharing the energy around at levels we could all take… some of you could take a _lot_ more than first thought actually… would save us all. “ Agatha scratched the back of her neck. “… So I did.”

“Great,” Tarvek deadpanned. Despite his coloring being better, and an almost restless quality radiating off him, he kept his voice in a dreading tone. “Just _please_ tell me I didn’t hear you say you want to do it again a minute ago.”

Agatha looked even more sheepish. “…Maybe, in a smaller dose…I’m pretty sure I could burn off any overflow back into the Dyne… maybe even harness it to fill some batteries…” her voice trailed off.

“No!” Gil and Tarvek yelped at once. Agatha frowned at them but let it go. Zeetha suspected it was not surrender but a lull in battle. She also decided she could care less until the lull was over.

Zeetha attempted to make it to her feet only to get caught on a wire. She sat back down to more easily untangle it from her leg hesitating slightly as she caught its end. It was a little bloody. Her blood, her mind helpfully told her. The faded flash of blue light hit her again and she swallowed and forced it away. Looking for a distraction she glanced across the area and counted three more wires. They all ended near either Gil, Tarvek or Violetta. She frowned.

She didn’t think Agatha had put any real thought into who she chose to dump the power into. The boys made sense, Zeetha didn’t quite understand the attraction but it was obvious she was smitten, but her, or for that matter Violetta who she had only just met, and not say, Krosp, or her cousin. No, she was pretty sure it had just been based on who had been closest to her at the time.

As her mind rushed with new found energy, a go, go, go, this is amazing feeling, while simultaneously pounded like an army was marching through, and her hands unable to stop trembling, Zeetha wasn’t sure if she was glad or not she hadn’t been further away.

She pushed herself to her feet, almost off her feet even and she pin wheeled sharply to keep up. This energy was uncomfortable, like her body had changed completely under her. She didn’t like it, but at the same time part of her did.

Her hands were still trembling and she scowled, fisting them until they stopped.

When she looked up again Agatha already had some metal and a screwdriver in her hands and Tarvek and Gil seemed to have finally decided to acknowledge each other’s presence. Zeetha sighed, there was no way that was going to end well, not if they were as wired as she was.

She walked, or more like bounced, over in hopes of preventing whatever idiocy the two were about to do, only for them to pounce at each other before she could even make a guess at what they had been talking about.

Before Agatha could get too distracted from whatever she was building, Zeetha felt her teeth bare and jumped into the pile of boys herself. She _had_ been intending to stop them, but the thought soon fled from her mind and didn’t even return as Agatha joined. Instead she tacked Gil away, well aware that Agatha was nowhere near his skill in fighting, and left Tarvek for her.

Gil pushed her off and into Tarvek’s back, who shouted in surprise and left himself open for Agatha to pin him. Violetta soared in out of nowhere to help Agatha making Zeetha grin toothly. Gil attempted to follow up with a leaping tackle when Zeetha noticed the bucket out of the corner of her eye and rolled to the side. Gil landed with a thud into Tarvek, who yelped again, this time with significantly more pain, just in time for the water to crash down over their heads.

Zeetha rolled until she was sitting and rubbed at the bridge of her nose, debating whether that had been the effects of Battledraught, Agatha’s light show, or a mix of the two. She really needed to ask Mamma how long she was going to have to watch for side effects, certainty not forever… right?

Groaning Zeetha leaned her head back and opened her eyes only to blink in surprise as she met Higgs. He started the slightest bit as he realized he was caught and glanced back over at the three idiots, who had already begun fighting again. Zeetha followed his gaze as she wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her head on them, uncertainty to how to phrase what she felt at the fact. A little uncomfortable, a little smug, pleased, uncertain that she wasn’t making something when nothing was there. It wasn’t as if she _knew_ the guy after all.

A hand blocked her vision and she glanced up to notice an also dry Violetta offering it to her, while rubbing uncomfortably at her own head. At least she wasn’t the only one somewhat uncomfortable one. Zeetha gave a weak grin and grabbed the hand, pulling herself up and, not having accounted for Violetta’s size, nearly pulling Violetta down instead.

“Sorry,” She offered. Violetta just shrugged.

“It’s fine—” A splash and cry of protest cut her off. “Think they’re done?”

Zeetha shrugged and looked over. The man holding the bucket was threatening another splash, and the trio was unhappily breaking up. “Probably. Hey, want to designate _him_ as babysitter.”

Violetta blinked in surprise, and then laughed. “Wouldn’t that be nice?”

“No!” The man snapped from a good twenty feet away. Both girls jumped and then laughed more. Then Violetta suddenly stopped, her head flicking up to stare at some shadows, mouth partly open.

“What?” Zeetha asked in concern with a hum, her hands suddenly itching to grab her swords.

Violetta was quite for a long moment, her eyes darting from shadow to shadow, then she slowly relaxed with a sigh. “Nothing… nothing, I just thought I saw something… ugh, this stuff is messing with me, I’m jumping at everything.”

Zeetha grimaced in empathy, her own eyes kept darting up as people moved around her, and bumped shoulders lightly with Violetta as she led the way back to the others.

Everyone slowly gathered their wits and took control of their impulses and grouped back up. They looked at each other: Some wary, some antsy, all suddenly uncertain.

“So what do we do now?” Theo asked after a moment of silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Story note:  
> The Battledraught's effects in this chapter may be a bit more than in canon, though I do have some reasoning’s for this. One is that for Gil, he was both never hit with the shock bullet of Merlot’s (Which in canon he handles better than he should, quite possibly do to the Draught) and also didn’t spend a long time sick (Which the Draught may have helped with, didn’t Tarvek mention feeling better than he expected at one point early on), which as a headcanon I’m taking as because he didn’t go through those things the Draught wasn’t burned off as heavily as it was in canon at this point.
> 
> Second for mostly funzies, and because of Gil losing himself a bit down in the GMC I’ve headcanoned that being so close to the Dyne is amplifying the Draught's side effects (and maybe also actual effects? That doesn’t come up here though.) While the Battle Draught itself probably doesn’t have Dyne water in it, the fact it was made specifically for Jägers, and has bad effects on others left me enough leeway that I thought this could be fun. I mean, after all, if it’s damp or misty down there surly there is really tiny bits of Dyne hitting everyone, right.
> 
> Zeetha is effected less as she has less Draught in her, but her trauma + what I call her Warrior Spark (Aka, Bang’s fortress) pushes her into anyway even though she escapes easier.
> 
> Skiff Glossary:  
> Niame wana (Neye-me Wa-na) – Living statue, stone like clanks powered through uses of energy directed through specific runes, a science very foreign to most Sparks in Europa, an invention extremely foreign to Europa. Niame: Statue; Wana: Alive, life, living
> 
> Niawa (Neye-wa): Slang for living statue. Used so frequently that it’s basically the equivalent of using TV for television. Especially as my version of Skiff uses a Abugidas/ Syllabary system not an alphabet.


	18. In Which Zeetha is blindsided by a plant

Agatha looked at Theo, and then to the others. “Next is power. We need Castle Heterodyne back as soon as possible and I doubt we can do much without at least a little power.”

“That shouldn’t be _too_ hard,” The short man who had come with Agatha piped up before cowering lightly as everyone turned to look at him. “I mean… it will be a lot of _hard_ work, but it’s not difficult. You just need the wheel head fixed, right?”

Agatha turned back to the broken power generator below. “I believe so, yes. At least for now, a lot of the batteries have been disconnected, but that should at least give us power back temporarily.” She turned back to him. “You think you can do it?”

“Yes…” he eased. “With enough man power anyway.”

“We can go get the prisoners up above,” Gil mused. “They can help.”

Moloch wilted. “If by help you mean make extra complicated and do no heavy lifting… sure.”

“I’ll tell them they have to listen to you.” Agatha told him offhandedly. Moloch slumped further.

“Yeah, sure.”

“And we’ll be helping,” Gil reminded.

“Wonderful,” Moloch muttered.

Zeetha grimaced in sympathy and patted him on the back. Unimpressed with how he nearly fell forward.  “I’ll help keep them in line,” She offered once their backs were turned. Moloch gave her a look as if he thought her delusional. Zeetha decided best to ignore it.

“And then after we have power back we will be able to focus on getting the Castle back into the, well… Castle.” Agatha continued. “And then after _that_ we can prioritize figuring out how to get _her_ out of my head.”

“I-if i-it’s removal and transfer t-t-that you s-seek,” the Castle spurt to life weakly. “T-then t-the next s-step is o-o-obvious.”

“Oh,” Agatha asked turning back to it. Static was tinging its speakers even more than before, and it seemed rather rushed to get what it wanted out.

“Y-your m-m-moth-ther p-prided herself on t-t-transferals of consciousness’s.” It began. “W-when s-she mast-erd organic t-trans-fer she moved onto-to arti-ficial.”

It shifted its hand slightly as if attempting to make a grand gesture. “I-I am t-the res-ult of t-that s-study.”

“And that’s how you know her,” Agatha finished. “And why you were after her?”

“Yes-s-s-sssssss.” The speaker screeched painfully. Gears began to grind, a fan went into overdrive and then cut off short. Smoke sputtered out of a crack on the side of its head. “I-I-I-I—Ah—”

“My Castle!” Agatha yelped, bending over to get a better look. Higgs shifted it away from him some, to keep the smoke from venting right into his eyes, and looked frankly concerned.

“I—I—I Mal-mal-mal-functi-on…I…I—” It spurted through enough static to nearly hide its words.

“No! No! No!” Agatha cried. “No malfunctions! I _need_ you!”

“Jeeze,” Gil said peering over Agatha’s back. “I can’t say I’m surprised though…how did it get so bad?”

The Guardians were the obvious answer, but Zeetha thought back to the human shaped crack on the side of the cavern and side eyed Higgs. “Yeah… how?”

Higgs looked unperturbed and shrugged. “Hmm… Socket Weevils?”

Zeetha didn’t roll her eyes but it was a close thing. The thing with him, she was starting to grasp, was that he could say _anything_ with a straight face, to the point one could almost believe him, _would_ if one hadn’t had reason to not to prior.

Tarvek made a humorless snort from beside them; looking like he wanted to cry. “I imagine the, what did it call them, _Guardians_ are a more likely answer.” He sniffed, though Zeetha could hear the slight tint of annoyance on his voice and could guess he was thinking of the human crack too.

“Or that…” Higgs agreed a little sheepishly. Zeetha snorted.

Agatha sighed when it became obvious that yelling at the Castle wasn’t going to bring it back and stood up straight.

“New plan.” She said as she walked over to the edge of the ledge and glanced over the GMC. “We go down first.”

“Down?” Gil asked. “But the power—”

“Won’t be worth anything if we don’t have a Castle to run it,” Agatha interrupted “And it was telling me about my mother for a reason. She did that to it, and it came from down there.” She pointed over rows of batteries to where the elevator, now looking rather small, waited, next to a hole going above—and a hole going below.

She turned back to the group, face set in determination “ _And_ it said my Mother turned to artificial after mastering _organic_ … so if I’m right—then we might have the answer to all our problems.”

 

The cables groaned under the weight of the bloated party as they inched further into the heart of the mountain. Near all of them had squeezed on to make the trip, leaving Theo and Sleipnir behind only out of necessity. The man, Moloch, Zeetha now knew, winced every time it did, and seemed to be regretting not fighting harder to stay above. The harsh solid stone around them made it seem as if they had left the Castle far behind, but the eerily green light that illuminated from below indicated that something was amiss.

“The way the Castle was talking, the one from before anyway, I didn’t think there was anything below the Great Movement Chamber,” Gil mused as he peered down over the edge of the elevator with a dusty lamp.

“I don’t think it knew,” Agatha responded worrying a lip. “Somehow…” She trailed off in thought.

Moloch looked up in astonishment. “How could it not know, that thing knows everything!”

“Well,” Agatha said glancing down herself. “I’m not yet sure… but I think this is my mother’s secret laboratory.” She touched her head as if concerned, and then the clasp of her locket. Zeetha frowned.

“You okay?” she asked.

“…Yeah, I’m fine,” Agatha answered not quite reassuringly. Zeetha rolled her eyes and was about to refute her when lights began to flicker on from below. Now illuminated Zeetha could tell that the tunnel had opened up into a cavern, one much smaller than the one above, but still large, and extensively shaped.

Machinery lined the walls and gathered in islands, some covered in cloth and other left exposed. Furniture of all types lay thrown about, some shattered. Books and paper laid scattered across the stone floors and mildew-covered rugs. Dust and debris shaken from the ceiling covered the entire room. There were signs of a fire: melted slag and soot covered one section of the lab. It was obvious something violent had happened here.

Something, Zeetha thought as she noted a discarded tea set, looking as it had been abandoned in a hurry, wasn’t just from a planned explosion. She couldn’t help but remember Tarvek words from the crypt.

Tarvek was almost giddy by the sight. “That machine, there, it looks remarkably familiar to the one in Stumhulten,” he said with a point as they neared the floor. He jumped off before they were even at the bottom and slowly twirled around. “This is _perfect_. If we study these we can have her out of you in no time! Does anyone see anything connected to the wasps?”

“Uh… it’s not connected to the wasps,” Violetta started… “But… who is she?” She pointed. Everyone turned to look.

“Madam Von Pinn!” Tarvek and Gil yelped as one as they rushed over.

The woman stirred at the noise and managed to open one eye. She attempted to speak and failed. Gil and Tarvek both knelt to get closer to her. Tarvek rummaged through a bag of supplies in search of water.

Zeetha watched from a distance, her brows furrowed. She didn’t look good. She was bleeding extensively, and it was obvious to Zeetha that it was only the mechanical components she could see through her broken flesh that was keeping her alive. Zeetha’s eyes followed the trail of blood back to near the elevator’s landing and without meaning to, Agatha.

Agatha was staring at the scene looking extremely guilty and horribly conflicted. Zeetha narrowed her eyes. Von Pinn… that sounded familiar.

“Madam Von Pinn,” Gil said, his determination and desperation catching Zeetha’s attention back. “Don’t move.”

“Master Wulfenbach…” She breathed. “What are you doing here?” her eye closed. “Such a troublesome child.”

Tarvek grimaced as he looked up. “Gil, this looks _really_ bad.”

Von Pinn stirred again and glanced his way. “Prince Sturmvoraus? Ah yes, of course… Naughty children… always getting into trouble together… getting into places you shouldn’t be.”

Tarvek leaned closer. Zeetha had never seen him so dismayed. “Just… just hold on.” He demanded. “You are severely injured.”

Von Pinn’s lips twitched in what was almost a smile. “Silly boy, No, I am dying.” She closed her eye again. “And it’s a very peculiar feeling and I do not like it.” Her voice grew fainter. “But then, I have enjoyed nothing of this. I would just as soon as be done with it. Still… to have failed…”

Higgs passed by Zeetha, who shot him an incredulous look, and ventured right into the touching moment. He set the Castle down near Von Pinn’s head. To Zeetha’s surprise it seemed to have regained some life.

“You-you-you w-w-will not cease!” It demanded through the static. “The-the-these chil-dren w-w-will help!”

Von Pinn managed to turn her head. “Ah. You have returned.” She paused, her eyes focusing, and then widened. She bared her teeth. “What have you _done_ to _my body_?”

 

Well, perhaps not in the way it had intended, the Castle did seem to have brought more life back into her, which kept her going long enough for Gil, Tarvek, Moloch and Higgs to lift her up and heave her over to a heavy table. Violetta ran ahead and swept off dust, books, and other odds and ends.

“What are you doing,” she hissed, seemingly trying to escape their holds. “Foolish children.”

“Violetta!” Tarvek ordered. “Get medical supplies! There has to be _something_!”

Violetta hesitated and then rushed off. Zeetha hesitated as well, glancing back at Agatha who seemed frozen in horror, before running off to help. Agatha kicked her shock soon enough though, and by listening to Gil and Tarvek’s orders a surprisingly extensive life-support system was soon in place.

“So…you know her?” Violetta asked as Tarvek fitted the last tube in place and fully covered her with the cleanest cloth they could find.

“Yes.” Tarvek said sharply, his voice ringing with suppressed madness. Violetta stared at him bewildered.

“ _Well_?”

“ _She_ was the only caretaker I ever had who showed me affection or kindness.” Tarvek explained bluntly.

“She was the closest thing I ever had to a mother,” Gil added in, his voice laced with much less suppressed madness.

Zeetha couldn’t help the pang in her chest as she thought of her own mother. Thought on how that statement would affect her. Thoughts of could have beens. She turned away so nobody else would see the swirling thoughts on her face. This wasn’t her moment anyway.

“She never cared about our backgrounds.”

“She never played favorites.”

“She was strict…”

“Hah, she was _terrifying_.”

“But she knew the life we would lead.”

“She made us strong.”

“And now to see her reduced to this!” Gil said with a snarl.

“Who could have done this!” Tarvek added with a snap.

“Whoever they are they will pay.”

“Yes! _Slowey_ and _Painfully_.”

Having turned away Zeetha was now looking right at Agatha, and she could see the horror, guilt, maybe even a little fear that flickered across her face. Zeetha winced.

Agatha took a deep breath and then cleared her throat. “For what it’s worth… she _did_ kill my parents.”

Oh… that was where she had heard the name from.

An awkward silence filled the room. Zeetha turned so she could watch both parties. The boys glanced at each other. Agatha continued. “I… can _never_ forgive her for that but…if you can hold off on your slow, _painful_ vengeance. I’ll do what I can to help.”

Tarvek raised a tentative finger. “Are you _sure_ it was her…?”

The guilt on Agatha’s face snapped off. “I watched her tear them to pieces right in front of me,” she growled.

Zeetha wondered if it was just pure disbelief that Tarvek hadn’t remembered Von Pinn’s name from the dinner. Agatha had only said her name once during it, granted, referring to her as only the woman afterwards, as if she couldn’t stand the name, but it hadn’t been _that_ hard to track.

“She… probably had her reasons…” Tarvek added weakly as he lowered his finger.

Agatha glared at him. “Excuses _me_ if I don’t really care what those reasons were!”

“That’s… probably fair.” Tarvek agreed even weaker. He turned to Gil “Okay, that’s all I got. You have anything?”

“Maybe…”

“Go for it, _please_.”

Gil took a deep breath and stepped forward. “So I actually wanted to tell you this at a… well better time I guess, but, Punch and Judy, they’re still alive.”

Agatha froze, staring at him. Then her teeth clenched and she glowered. “Impossible. Why would you say such a thing—”

“No not impossible,” Gil jumped in. “Just very, very difficult! After you left I had them in a lab in under an hour. I hooked them up to oxygenated nutrients and stitched them back together. The regeneration process was stared within a week.”

Agatha was still staring at him but now her mouth was open and she seemed still in shock.

“—As far as I can tell there was nearly no memory loss, though they are still recovering, I had orders to have them sent to the Great Hospital as soon as possible but—”

Agatha jumped at him, pulling him into a hug that had him squawking in surprise and then staring out in wonder, his face burning red. “Thank You! Thank You!” Agatha shouted, kissing his cheek.

“Seriously the old ‘bring her lost family back from the grave gambit,’ have you no shame,” Tarvek’s lip curled as he turned away and picked up a syringe, getting back to work. Zeetha rolled her eyes, would have kicked him if it didn’t risk jerking his hand, before turning back to the scene. She bit her lip in thought.

Bringing her parents back was certainly not a _bad_ thing… but Zeetha wondered if Gil really thought that made everything _better_. Agatha had already said she would help in any way she could, and them being alive now didn’t change the fact they _had_ been killed. It didn’t make the problem non-existent. She doubted Agatha liked Von Pinn anymore now than a moment ago, or trusted her… she wouldn’t have.

Ah, well, if he did think that way he would learn one way or another.

Tarvek was still muttering to himself. “Geeze it’s such a cliché! The last I saw of it was in Feydeasu’s ‘ _The ‘Cockwork Pantalettes’!_ And the reviews for that were _terrible_.”

“Are you listening to yourself,” Violetta hissed at him.

Agatha let go of Gil and allowed him to get back to work. “It’s just… amazing. She tore them to shreds.” She muttered to herself.

Zeetha stepped closer and also watched the boys work. “Yeah… and what will she do to you?” She asked grimly.

Agatha’s bubble burst and she consider this. “She said… She’s ordered to keep me safe for others by her creator, ordered to protect me by her master… If she’s the muse Otilia, then I think… she’s referring to Van Rijn, and the Storm King there, but then forced to take care of my needs by my mother…” Seeing Zeetha’s confusion she backtracked. “Or at least the Heterodyne Girl and her children to be more précises, not _me_ specifically.

“So it… might not be her fault that she’s done this…” Agatha trailed of for a second and then shook her head. “But she sounded more regretful that she couldn’t kill me as she originally planned than anything…

“So… I don’t think she can hurt me, but I’m not convinced she doesn’t plan on trapping me in a room until I die of old age either…”

Zeetha made a face, a jolt on unease stuck down her spine, and looked over to Agatha, who was worrying her lip, watching the boys: argue free and working together as if they were of one mind. “But she’s important to those two… so I’ll help them now and… we’ll try and talk to her later.”

Tarvek leaned back and wiped his brow. “This will keep her going for a little while… but she really is dying and we don’t have many options in here…”

The Castle hissed in distress. “This-is-is mu-mus-must-must n-not-not-not-not happen!” Its eyes flared. “You can-can-c-can will-will-must do th-this for us-us!”

Zeetha offhandedly wondered if it was possible for the Castle to gain enough affection for someone to develop a crush of sorts. Because it’s demand that they save them both… her a muse built by a Heterodyne enemy no less, seemed far out of character. Then again, from what Zeetha had gathered; the two had both been put through hell together from Lucrezia. And torment had a habit of changing people, and forging bonds of iron and steel that would have never existed before.

Agatha crouched down beside the clank. “Shh. Take it slow,” she eased. “Now… do what? What can I do?”

Lights flashed again in the eyes of the clank. “The M-mu-muse Otilia was pried-torn-taken from this vessel. She-it must be re-restored to it, and I—returned to my proper function-instrumentality.”

Agatha strengthened and her brows furrowed. “You want to return her to her original body? How will that help? It’s dying too.”

Static formed from its speaker and then cut off. “No!” No-no-not dying. Never-not alive. I am Castle Heterodyne. I am-was-am vast. This engine contains me. I-i-it-I am to much for it. But restore it-it-it’s master-muse it-it can-will be repaired.”

It shifted its chin as best it could, as if gesturing out into the room. “This-is-is where it-that was done. These are-were-are the machines. You-she-you can do it. And it must-must-has to be done _now._ ”

Agatha stared at the clank. Her jaw set. “Then let’s get started.”

 

“We’re hoping to transfer the Castle’s mind out of the muse and into one of its own subsystems,” Gil explained to her and Violetta about an hour later. “So we can then move Otilia into her, and it will buy us the time we need to move the Castle to an area where we can restore its full control. There is a broken down clank at the top of the shaft. It will need some modifications to fit, but we really only needs its cognitive engines and a viable power source, so that shouldn’t be too hard. Meanwhile we also need to get the power back as soon as possible. We won’t be able to get the Castle hooked up without it. Most of us will be dropped off on the way back down to work on the power while Otilia and the Castle are moved.”

“Alright…” Violeta said. “So who goes where?”

“I don’t know what’s waiting up there, so—”

 “We’ll send Zeetha, Von Zinzer, Krosp, and your man Higgs.” Tarvek interrupted from nowhere. “They’ll pick up Dumedd and O’Hara on the way up.”

Gil’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t be stupid. At least you or I should go.”

“No. We need you down here.” He then leaned in and whispered, rather uselessly Zeetha couldn’t help but think. “Plus there are _things_ we need to discuss. In _private_.”

Gil glanced over at him and then nodded slowly. “Fine.”

Tarvek straightened. “ _And_ you still need to take your dose.”

“What, are you _still_ on about that?”

“What’s the chance we’ll get another lull in the next few days?”

Gil sighed heavily through his nose. “You know what. _Fine_. If only to shut you up.” He turned back to the group. “It could be dangerous up there.”

Zeetha gave him a dull glance, mildly insulted. Gil caught it and looked mildly apologetic.

“That’s true everywhere, and that’s why we’re sending—” Tarvek stopped briefly. Zeetha noted Higgs over his shoulder. “Zeetha.” He finished smoothly.

Zeetha’s lip twitched. She knew exactly who Tarvek was originally going to say and it kind of stung a bit to know it wasn’t going to be her. Even if the crack in the wall up above likely proved he was right. “Smart guy.” She said, sarcasm lilting her voice.

“Sure is,” Higgs agreed stepping to her. Zeetha eyed him oddly from the corner of her eye, wondering if he knew she knew that something was up, but he simply pulled on his pipe. She sighed and pinched her nose.

As they gathered up at the elevator Agatha handed her a small ball like machine, the project she had been working on earlier. Zeetha eyed it and then glanced up at her with a light hum.

“When you get up there, if you need help, just crank that up and tell it what to do,” She explained. Zeetha eyed it dubiously but as the elevator cranked into motion, stashed it into one of her pockets.

 

Zeetha and Violetta filled Theo and Sleipnir in as they rose. Both of them were dismayed to hear about Von Pinn’s condition, though much less so than Gil or Tarvek had been.

“Give that back,” was the first thing they heard as they approached the top. The remaining prisoners had apparently set up to wait. It was dark, the Castle drain of the power had taken the light, but they had built some makeshift lights to illuminate what looked like a makeshift chess set.

Two men sat on stools around the chess set, while another man stood on spiderlike legs nearby, posed to watch. They were all instead watching a young woman chase around what Zeetha realized was a dingbot holding a bit of metal.

“Do hurry Snaug I can’t beat this nitwit if I don’t have all my pieces.” A man with crazy hair and a control panel in his chest shouted out before they seemed to notice the returned elevator.

“Oh you have returned.” He said before pausing and glancing at their group, taking in the fact he only recognized one of them as non-noteworthy. “Has perhaps the Lady perished?” He asked with a large grin. Snaug cheered in celebration in the background.

“No,” Moloch said dryly stepping from the elevator. He took a long sigh. “But she has set another task for us.”

“Ohhh…” the three said. Snaug yelped in the corner as another dingbot came from nowhere and pinched her in the shin, the newly recovered piece falling. The first took off with the metal and the other chased after it.

 

It only got worse from there. The Sparks argued about how best to do things. The lights were already plugged into the clank’s power source so they had to instead switch over to what was left of a mechanical suit, which then required reworking the lights completely as the power sources were different.

The Sparks argued some more.

They were missing a tool and Snaug had been forced to fetch it. In the dark. _Alone_.

The Sparks argued more.

And amongst all that the Dingbots kept multiplying.

“Yahhh—” Theo snapped as he lunged at an escaping dingbot holding a wrench. “Come back with that!”

“Another one,” Mittlemind sighed as Theo picked himself up steaming.

“Yes! Those confounded little clanks have gotten out of control! They steal parts! Tools! We’ll never get this done at this rate. We’ve only just finished the _lights!”_

Sleipnir stepped over several dingbots that were struggling to carry off a heavy pipe and rubbed Theo’s arm, attempting to calm him as he heaved. Moloch stepped over and pointed back at the elevator.

“I could go get Spooky girl and Wulfenbach—”

“No!” Mezzasalma snapped. “We can’t go to Wulfenbach every time we run into a hiccup. We are Sparks!” He grinned wildly. Fists in the air. “It may take years, endless toil, the blood of thousands of minions, but we shall overcome this!”

“Yeah!” Shouted Diaz.

“You say it brother,” Mittlemind cheered.

Zeetha starred at them blankly as the congratulated each other. “O-kay,” She deadpanned slowly as she pulled out the little ball Agatha had given her.

“Hmm,” Higgs asked from where he leaned with her against the wall, smoking his pipe as always, watching the chaos undisturbed. “What’s that?”

Zeetha found the place to wind it and did so slowly. “Agatha said it would help.” She was pretty sure she recognized it from when Agatha had been making it in the GMC, and well, _one_ more dingbot wasn’t going to make things any worse. _Probably_.

The ball clicked and out shot some legs and arms. The larger eye blinked up at her. “Hi…” she said slowly. The smaller eye blinked. Zeetha looked back up to where the dingbots had formed into two armies. “Agatha needs that clank’s head,” she told it. The Dingbot looked over to it. “But the other dingbots are stealing things and making it hard to work. Can you help?”

The dingbot looked back at her, crinkled its large eye in what Zeetha would almost call a smile, and gave her what looked like a thumbs up with a little ding. It jumped from her hand and stealthed its way over to the MADD.

Meanwhile the noises from the two armies had only worsened as they seemed to scream at each other. The leaders, one of which Zeetha recognized as the one Gil had saved from Stumhulten, pointed out with their arms and the others charged.

Very familiar humming stopped them in their tracks and they all turned to stare up at the MADD where the new dingbot stood. It stopped and stared down at the rest, and with a single extra gesture of its arms the two rebellious leaders kneeled.

Queenie, as Zeetha dubbed her right then, seemed to give them some orders, and with little warning the dingbots swarmed together and over to the clank. Seemingly set to do the task themselves.

“Well this looks promising,” Theo said with some cheer as he watched the missing tools and parts be redistributed.

“A promising disaster!” Mittlemind despaired. Theo glanced at him strangely. “Can you _not_ see it?”

“Um… no?”

“They are building, designing?” Mittlemind cried. The other two joined in.

“Spitting on the face of the creator.”

“Warping science!”

“So…”

They are taking our jobs!

“We are doomed!”

“Dooooomed!”

“Oh please,” Theo sighed.

Higgs and Zeetha watched from their wall as Theo attempted to sooth the Sparks, Moloch freaked them out with some glee, Sleipnir sighed at one side, and the little dingbots did more work in the last minute than the Sparks had done in the last hour.

“Not bad,” Higgs said, awkwardly bumping her shoulder with his. Friction, cloth, and dust merged together to give her small jolt. Zeetha’s breath caught and her mind went blank. Then she forced air out of her nose and gritted her teeth into a smile.

“Yeah…” She replied. Higgs wasn’t looking at her, hadn’t been looking at her. She took relief in that as she rubbed the arm.

BOOM!!!!

Zeetha flinched, her stomach dropping as smoke flooded out of the hole like a geyser.

“No—!” She yelled as she rushed over. Moloch was already there and peering down.

“Wow, down there, it’s all blocked.”

“That was an explosion,” one of the Sparks shouted. “Somebody did this intentionally!”

Zeetha doubted that logic, knowing the gifted, but it didn’t make her feel any better either. Higgs peered over her shoulder and killed his coal with his thumb. “Hmph, Master Gilgamesh is still down there… Better go make sure he’s alright.”

Zeetha turned to him just as Moloch spoke up. “Well you ain’t going that way. The blockage starts after that big cavern”

“The Lady Heterodyne carved this hole,” Higgs replied unperturbed. “There are other paths.”

“Sure,” Moloch shrugged. “But where?”

Higgs hesitated for a second. “I… can get there.”

“What? How?”

“I… found a map.”

Zeetha followed as Higgs moved away from the hole and rolled her eyes. Now _there_ was a lie and a half.

“A map? Where?”

“Down in the lab…”

“Well, no good dose it do down there.”

“I remember maps. Now who is coming with me?”

“I am,” Zeetha said over his shoulder, frowning that he had to ask.

“Ah…” he started. Zeetha’s lip twitched at his hesitance, a stab in her chest that she ignored, pushed aside for annoyance. _“Good.”_ Zeetha bolted at his words. The inflection, the emphasis… he sounded pleased she was coming, but before… perhaps it was because she couldn’t see his face but… She wondered if she was starting to look so deep she was seeing things that weren’t there at all. She rubbed at her temples.

“A map… of here, that makes no sense,” Zeetha overheard Sleipnir whisper to Theo. Zeetha fought to avoid rolling her eyes once more. Way to be late to the party.

“Yes, but… he can get us to Gil and Agatha…and if he needs a map to do that.” Theo answered suspicious but firm. “Then fine. He found a map.”

That, Zeetha mused as Snaug volunteered herself and Moloch, was the true reality of it all. For now, if he needed his lies? Fine. They had more important stuff to deal with.

Zeetha paused before leaving the room and turned back. “Queenie,” She called out. The dingbot blinked at her from across the room. “You’re in charge.” As she turned to leave she would swear she heard the Sparks whine in disappointment.

 

Higgs led them through the Castle, in a relatively down direction though only in the vaguest sense. Zeetha armed herself with one of her swords and lit the way through the halls now devoid of even the emergency lights, though sun flickered in rarely, and kept on her toes even as Higgs seemed to lumber on. It was nothing new, but much more obvious now that he was in front.

“Here. I’m betting this is it,” he said after not too long. Zeetha stared at him and then around the hall. They had come through a door and down a small staircase into a large but enclosed wing.

“Read you map wrong,” Sleipnir snarked. Higgs looked back at her blankly. “This is all bedrooms.”

“Thought you people were smart,” Higgs said. Zeetha could see Sleipnir and Theo bristle a little, she wasn’t too happy herself. He looked around the room and walked to the wall, eyes narrowing. “Sparks’r like balloon bees… given half a chance they spread out into any space they find.”

He pushed on a wall, it opened into a passage. “So, best place to look for an entrance would be her private chambers, wouldn’ it?”

Zeetha couldn’t help herself as she walked up next to him. “And you knew where Lucrezia’s private chambers were?”

“Sure,” He said not looking at her. “Saw it on the map.”

 

The staircase down was just like the one to the GMC, with the exception that it branched off into hallways at nearly every level.

“Amazing,” Krosp mused. “This passage must connect to secret doors in half the Castle.”

Zeetha worried her lip at that. “Yeah…” she started slowly “…How did the Castle not know about it?”

“Who says it didn’t?” Krosp asked.

“It didn’t know of Lu’s lab…” Zeetha answered slowly. “And wouldn’t it have noticed she took the path often and disappeared?”

Krosp frowned and seemed to ponder that but didn’t share his thoughts.

They almost missed their stop as the stairs just kept going. Krosp stood in front of the path down, pondering more. “It just keeps going down,” he mused. “What could be down there?”

Zeetha’s first thought was of the Geisterdamen tunnels and she hoped she was wrong. The last thing they needed was to be ambushed from below. She shook that thought off and entered the lab and her stomach dropped once more. She leapt up onto a table to get a better view but it didn’t help. “It looks like half the ceiling fell…” She said.

“And the rest could come down mightily soon…” Higgs continued.

Zeetha stared around. So much for using this equipment to help Agatha—though that wasn’t anywhere near her biggest concern.

“What about Gil?” Sleipnir asked picking up some rubble and saying what Zeetha couldn’t. “What about Agatha?”

“It’s okay they all survived,” Theo reassured, a letter in hand. Zeetha relaxed and it felt as if her stomach had been released from a grapple. “They left.”

“Left?”

“To fix the Castle. They want us to help Von Pinn.”

“Oh… poor von Pinn,” Sleipnir whispered as she caught sight of her. “She looks… _vulnerable_.”

“Don’t worry this set up is amazing,” Theo replied as he multitasked between checking out the setup and reading the letter. “She could last down here for a few months if she had too.”

“She might but I don’ think this ceiling will,” Higgs replied still eyeing the hazardously fitted rubble, and miscellaneous cracks.

“Well, what do we have to do…?”

“Let’s see we have to—” he mused. “They left some good notes… huh I see Agatha, Gil, _and_ Sturmvoraus all worked on this… interesting—”

“This… is AMAZING!” He suddenly shouted, as mad as they come. “I see— I think I can even _improve_ on this! Yes! We _have_ this! By the time they return we will have all the primary steps finished and _then_ some! Oh Yes! I CAN DO THIS!”

“Ohh,” Sleipnir replied, with her own stretched grin and a voice that was almost that of a Spark. “That’s the Sparky beast I ran off with.”

“Care to assist me,” Theo purred. Zeetha shivered and backed away. This was getting a little… yeah…

Sleipnir all but meowed in response.

“I think we’ll… go tell the others how to get down here…” Snaug shakily told them as she backed away with Moloch. “Slowely.”

“Yeah,” Zeetha agreed. She did not need to be down here. She even felt bad for Von Pinn. She hoped she stayed unconscious. “We’ll go with them,” she added grabbing Higgs sleeve, shaking him from his squiked stare.

“And… then we’ll go look for the Lady Heterodyne,” He agreed.

“I’ll stay,” Krosp said blandly. “Too many steps.” Higgs snatched him by the collar and they bolted, closing the door behind them.

“What?” Krosp complained as Zeetha glared at him. Zeetha rubbed her face and debated the merits of trying to teach a cat personal space… and surrendered, instead skipping a few steps to near the front of the party to light the way.

“Moloch,” She said as soon as she was near him. Snaug sent her a poisonous look which she ignored.

“Yeah?”

“When we get back… I think you should move to power.”

“But with so few people…”

“Agatha needs power to get the Castle back and she’s already moving.” Zeetha interrupted. “Take the Dingbots with you, Qeenie will keep them in line, maybe Snaug too.” The poisonous look disappeared, Zeetha suppressed a shiver. “Higgs and me if you really need us, I know it’s heavy work, but I rather check on Agatha? Krosp can babysit the Sparks.”

Krosp was glaring at her from behind. She ignored him.

Moloch considered this. “Not having to deal with Sparks is a plus,” he mused. “I think the dingbots, and Snaug would be enough.”

Snaug was beaming now. Zeetha eyed between the two, and the obliviousness on Moloch face, and mentally wished him luck. Higgs made a noise from behind. She glanced back to raise an eyebrow.

“ _You_ have any other ideas?”

“Nope,” he said, looking at her in a way she couldn’t describe properly, “all sounds right to me.”

Zeetha turned back front and tried to ignore the warriors fighting in her chest, or the tingling on her cheeks.

 

They were almost back and a set of windows would illuminate the way, so Zeetha put away her NOPET and allowed herself to fall back just a small bit. Both to cover their rear and give herself some space. Her head was a mess. She was constantly on edge and she couldn’t tell if it was still the draught, the boost from the Dyne, her own trauma doing it, or some unholy collection of the above. She had questions in her head that she wanted answers to… about Higgs mostly if she was being honest. He bugged her.

He knew the Castle. That was obvious. Zeetha wondered at how old he was. Older than her she was sure just by looks, but she wouldn’t normally say by much, but if so he would have only been a young child when the Castle fell. But if he was older than he looked… a servant of the Heterodyne would explain a lot… but it didn’t feel right, not necessarily wrong but… missing a lot.

Zeetha pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand. It didn’t help that she both found his mysteries really intriguing _and_ really concerning. It made her already pounding head pound harder.

A scream and an explosion snapped Zeetha from her thoughts, she grabbed her other sword and bolted—around the corner—past the minions—catching up to Higgs— the door was right there—

Zeetha got there a second before Higgs did and they both saw Zola, her hand smoking, curse and run. She jumped through the hole and using a grappling gun swung to the floor below. They followed. Zeetha dived down, rolling and sheathing her swords midflight to ease the landing. Higgs didn’t bother with such things and landed hard on his feet and just kept going.

They followed her down halls and through rooms, but she quickly disappeared. Higgs glanced down one more hall before huffing in displeasure.

“I think we lost her.” Zeetha scowled, sheathing one sword to have a free hand.

“Don’t know what she was doing up there—” Higgs replied. “But I’ll doubt she’ll be back.”

Zeetha sighed and brushed back her hair. “That doesn’t help. As long as she’s alive Agatha is in danger.” She was… a lot faster than Gil’s story would have implied, crafty… and no matter what dangerous. “I’m going after her…” Zeetha paused and glanced over to Higgs, raising a brow. “I won’t… _ask_ you to come along.”

But she was sure he would anyway.

“Well…” Higgs started laying a hand on her shoulder. “She is out to get young Wulfenbach too… so let’s ship out.”

Zeetha smiled at him, even if she wasn’t sure how to take his answer. He wasn’t with Zola… but she hadn’t really thought that to begin with. She was starting to doubt that he was really all that concerned about Gil either… Gil was just a good excuse. “Go find Lady Heterodyne,” he said down in the lab. Not Master Wulfenbach.

Still this wasn’t the time.

Zeetha set the pace at a fast jog and did her best to track Zola down. She had no idea where she may want to go beyond after Agatha and crew who Zeetha also didn’t know where was, so she was left to all but choose a path and hope. Occasionally scruffs in the dust coated hallway helped, but they were few and far between. Either Zola was far better than she would have thought or she was worse at tracking than she thought. It was stone and dust and not forest and mud but even so…

A couple minuets into their chase and after the fifth flight of stairs Zeetha realized that Higgs was keeping up with her easily, something she had to remind herself was weird. She vaguely understood that a fast jog to her wasn’t a fast jog for everyone, but she forced that thought away, Higgs was not a concern right now.

Though he felt more real now then he had ever done before. Every once in a while he would pick up the pace and turn a corner, or cut through a room, spotting signs she had missed. He didn’t try and hide them behind, “why not this path,” or some other fake excuse. He saw them, pointed them out as they passed, and followed her when she noted her own. They both had their mission and there was no hiding involved. It was nice.

The yell from the floor above was not so nice.

Crap. Crap. Crap. Zeetha gritted her teeth as they dashed for the nearest staircase. That had sounded like Gil. They were too late. She had to get there fast. She had to get there _now_. If Gil was in trouble Agatha certainly was, Tarvek and Violetta probably was. If Zola had hurt _any_ of them—

It was almost like running into a wall of light as they dashed through the door and Zeetha barely kept a laugh back. Her idiots were all tangled up in _vines_ , Gil was half _eaten_ by a flower. A _flower!_ Only they could get so beaten by a plant (but… plants were dangerous, the Great Tree…). Zola hovered over them like some spider, thinking _she_ could save Gil, being _stupid_ , so, _so_ stupid.

Prune the family tree? Hah! She got that one. (Wait no, that’s bad, Agatha!)

“Hurry! I’m stuck!” Agatha yelled, Zeetha faltered for all of a second, the bright colors of the world diming as her smile dropped. Then it all returned as she lined up her shot and threw. Zola dodged. Pity. It would have been cool. But she had thought she would, Agatha had clued her in and it was kind of cooler she had anyway. Way cooler. She wondered what Higgs thought.

“You… _missed_?” Higgs asked sounding completely bewildered.

There was a giggle in the back of her throat, the back of her mind, as she turned to grin wildly at him. “Nah, didn’t miss.” Pleasure rippled through her at his instant confusion that she _could_ miss, as well as his inability to see what she had done. Hee! She was so clever. Smart! Pride hit her, self-confidence she hadn’t felt in _years_ —not since she became a Princess Guardian, youngest in living memory. A self-assurance she had missed, wished for in the dead of night for its return. A self-assurance that had been unsustainable…

Zeetha’s smile dropped for a second at the thought, the room spun, but her attention snapped forward as Zola talked.

“You certainty did!” She smirked only for her eyes to go wide as Agatha loomed above her.

“Ha! Ha! That’s much better!” Agatha grinned, Zeetha’s sword in hand. Free of vines. Zeetha grinned with her. Pride swelling. (She was holding the sword wrong… ) They would be done with this in no time! Go Agatha! (She should go cut Tarvek free…)

“Do you even know how to use that?”

Of course she did—wait, no, she hadn’t gotten time to teach Agatha anything about swordplay. She hadn’t had time to teach her anything beyond how to fist a hand. Why had she—

Would that voice _stop_ giggling! Zeetha smile shifted slightly to a grimace. What…

Agatha made a semi-decent swipe. It didn’t fit the sword but it showed she had some small idea of what she was doing. Ah! Good! It was a good plan! All uncertainty disappeared as she watched Agatha mostly dodge a bullet (Why aren’t we helping? _Why_ aren’t we _helping!_ ), trick Zola with a clank, and grin predatorily as Zola smashed hard into the ground.

She groaned something Zeetha didn’t catch as Agatha jumped down grinning.

“You better hope so! _Why_ are you still here, you’ll be lucky to see tomorrow?”

She swallowed something in response. Zeetha blinked and drew her other sword, cautious even as the world blurred at the edge of vision. Had always been blurred. Why…

Tarvek and Violetta were talking. She couldn’t hear them (Should be able to hear them…) Her grin grew wider. Maybe the singer would actually put up a bit of a fight. Agatha could free the others, and then get Gil out. Hah, she was going to have fun with this one, beaten by a plant. Her own brother beaten by a plant. She was never going to let that one go. That’s what sisters did right?

_Right_ … Zeetha’s grin flickered. _Wait…?_

“Don’t mess around!” Tarvek yelped snapping Zeetha to him. She turned to look at his panicked glory and smirked. (Tarvek…doesn’t… panic…) “Kill her!”

“Hee, hee,” The giggle finally broke free (When had she last laughed so loud). “Don’t worry. I have Gil’s singer, Agatha can cut you free while—”

“Great idea—”

Zeetha blinked back just in time to take a fist to the cheek. She stumbled as a pink blur closed in. When has she gotten there, she had been across the room, the plants, she _wasn’t_ supposed to be this good—

“And I’ll use you other sword—” Zola continued. Zeetha blinked, her hand clenching, only just noticing the absence. What—how—her mind struggled to comprehend reality as it smacked into a wall of fog.

It finally broke through. Zola was close. Zeetha snarled and threw a punch, and—

 

Zola didn’t seem to notice the punch to her face.

Zeetha sputtered as blood flew. Zola pulled and the sword caught. She scowled, brought a leg up and kicked Zeetha right next to the lodged sword. Zeetha choked and flew back.

Zeetha fell.

Higgs didn’t even have to tell his body to act. One moment she was falling and the next he was kneeling and she was in his arms.

Choking. Eyes wide but quickly fluttering down. Blood seeping from her chest, dripping from her mouth.

Something deep in his mind screamed. Told him he knew what to do. He’d helped Mamma numerous times. He’d helped comrades numerous times. He knew what to do.

He stayed frozen.

“Hmph,” The pink blur said, rubbing at her face. “Guess she just wasn’t as good as she thought she was.”

His eyes _snapped_ up. The pink blur _snapped_ into the _fake_ Heterodyne Girl. Her smirk _snapped_ into focus. Her words _snapped_ into comprehension.

Something just _snapped_.

“Yes.” A voice, no— _his_ voice said. “But I _vas_ starting to like her.”

”Oh please sailor boy I don’t have time to kill you, just stay down and maybe you’ll make it out alive—”

Zola’s head whipped around with a crack and she flew across the room.

She said words. He didn’t hear them and punched her straight in the nose. It cracked. She didn’t go down. Ancient anger bubbled up and he barely kept it back as she said more words that he interrupted with a kick. He didn’t care what she had to say, Heterodyne _fake_.

“Oh that’s it! Just _die!_ ” She snapped, slashing back. Higgs grunted as he reluctantly jumped away too late, the slash slicing through the skin of his pecs.

“Ha! Got you now—urk!” He smacked her again, the sting having brought back clarity. He couldn’t be stupid. He had to get her down, but he couldn’t be stupid. Use only what he needed to, fight smart.

The next few slashes he dodged, but the punches he was often forced to tank. It was harder than it should have been. His clothes were quickly being shredded and not by choice. Her hits were hard. And she just: Wouldn’t. Stay. Down.

“I can’t believe this,” She shouted as she swung and caught some fabric, “How many times do I have to hit you! I’ve got _other_ people to kill.” Higgs teeth clenched and he grabbed her arm. “More _important_ people!”

“Hey!” The Smoke Knight yelled from behind. “She’s had a whole vial of Movitt 11, she’ll be unstoppable until it wears off, don’t even try to ‘just knock her out,’ you hear me!”

“I hear you.” He grunted. Knocking out had never been part of the plan. Not now. Not after she—

“Oh you _hear_ her? Well, _Good!”_ Zola snapped and thrusted. Higgs blinked as he was suddenly in the air, sword through his chest. When… how… “Then you didn’t miss the part where she said I was _Unstoppable!_ Now I’ve got to get Gil out of that plant and hunt down my inconvenient cousin—And _you’re_ getting in my way! Thanks to _you_ she’s getting away. Right now! With, I might add, _my_ Storm King! So! Stay! Down—“

His knee caught her chin— a fist hit her cheek—his other fist… his other fist trembled and dropped. He coughed as pain finally hit him.

“…Ouch?” He breathed. It hurt. It hurt _bad_. Far more than a couple of broken bones. His chest stuttered. The sword had hit something important, thrusted between his ribs and into his organs with little difficulty. His arms trembled more—grazed his spine or just pain, he couldn’t tell. It would heal, it always healed. He needed it to heal _now_.

It wasn’t going to heal if he was still on this sword. His chest stuttered again as he struggled to breath.

“Ha! Ha!” She laughed as she jerked the sword out. Higgs gasped as a new wave hit him and he collapsed onto his knees, one hand clutching at the pouring wound. He could still bleed out, it was hard, but he could.

Heal. He needed to heal.

“Take that—” Zola cut off. He didn’t hear why just screwed his eyes shut and tried to keep consciousness. If he could just keep consciousness. He faltered further to the ground, a pool of blood under him. Keep awake, he told himself.

Vaguely he noted he had fallen near Zeetha. His lips tightened. He needed to keep awake. She had been still alive. He had to get her help. He needed to say awake.

“Violetta, you pathetic loser! Did you really try to poison me? Ahhhahahhaha, as if _that_ would stop me now.”

“Tsk, I know that,” the Smoke Knight said from somewhere above. “That was more movitt 11. Now I just have to watch you combust.”

“Nnnot if I move fastfastfast enough to burnburn it off,” Zola vibrated. Higgs grit his teeth and used what strength had returned to snatch at her leg as she attempted to flee. She fell with a shriek.

“What—” She glared at him. “Can’tDon’tKillYouStupidFine!” She snarled as she kicked back, smacking his face with each fast spoken letter. He tanked it, grunting as his face took more and more damage. As long as he held on, and long as his chest could heal… just a little more.

Zola pulled herself to her feet as much as possible, grabbed Zeetha’s sword, and swung.

“SlashyHeadStabbyBits—”

“Ni!”

“—Ahh!” Zola yelped and almost fell. The sword she was holding dropped to the floor right next to Higgs head. He didn’t notice, eyes frozen forward.

“Eken,” Zeetha spat from where she was laid propped up on one elbow, blood dribbling to the floor, a dagger lodged deep into Zola’s calf, just missing the back of her knee. Zeetha’s eyes were wild, her fangs bared.

Zola stumbled but she kicked off Higgs’ suddenly weak grip and dashed from the room, dagger still lodged firmly in place. Zeetha let out a pained hiss as she tried to prop herself up further and failed, instead managing to flip herself and lean back on her elbows. Her back arched a bit as she took a skittering breath, her face tight in pain.

Higgs stood. He stared. His mouth didn’t seem to want to work, which was fine as his brain didn’t either.

Zeetha’s eyes snapped open. Only ingrained habit stopped Higgs from flinching back. For a moment all pain disappeared from her face, replaced with anger and determination. She flung an arm back, falling heavily on that shoulder as she did so, to point vaguely in the direction Zola had run off too. “Go!” She barked.

Higgs started. He ran.

 

“Holy crap,” Violetta muttered as she dropped to Zeetha’s side, a hand dashing out to keep her from falling again from a second attempt at sitting. She leaned Zeetha against some twisted vines and ripped away the ruined coat to expose her chest armor. She had seen it briefly during her fight with Gil outside the Castle, but for the first time she got a good look and realized that not only was it heavy duty, but Spark made—expensive and hard to come by. “Where did you even get this?” Violetta couldn’t help but ask as she tried to figure out how the armor came off.

A ghost of a smile flicked across Zeetha’s face. Her eyes dropped despite obvious effort to keep them up. “St. Nick,” she snarked lowly as she vaguely gestured to her sides. Violetta searched and found some hidden latches and pulled off the chest piece. Zeetha let out a half suppressed and near silent whimper from the motion.

”Sorry,” Violetta said distractedly as she winced from the exposed wound. She was _so_ not qualified for this, in her line of work death was usually a small cut and poisons, not straight up stab wounds from a sword. “Just… keep breathing alright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much as I wish i could say it was, this is not the end of the hiatus, but i did promise that if I wasn't finished by mid-may I would post a chapter to help tide people over as I struggle my way through the ending. I'm already a bit late with that, I had hopes that maybe I could push myself with one last week to finish everything and yeah... that didn't work though I'm two more chapter closer to finish. (Those I don't want to post yet because they are so intertwined with the rest that I need the ability to go back and fix plot holes as they arise... I may not have planned the ending as well as I should have...) I promise to do my best to get it out as soon as possible.
> 
> None the less I hope people enjoyed this chapter, I'm proud of more than a few bits of it.


	19. In Which Higgs Is a Grump

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to wait until I had finished the last chapter before posting again, but with over a month since the last chapter posted I decided screw it. This week and next Monday will have a chapter, after that we will see. Enjoy!

Stupid Storm King wannabe’s and their stupid suspicion and thinking they knew _everything_. It wasn’t as if the boy actually _knew_ anything. At _all_. Miss Zeetha had been overconfident. She had gotten hurt. She needed help and the Smart Guys didn’t have the time to help her at the moment, not with that _fake_ Heterodyne running amuck, and frankly this castle wasn’t the place for it. The longer she stayed in here the more likely she would get infected with some kind of serious disease, and that was _before_ it had fallen into ruin. That was _it_.

He continued to grumble as he powered walked his way back through the halls he had just run through, blood dripping off him here and there but for the most part it was starting to dry up. A thought hit him as he finally approached the greenhouse. He didn’t let himself hesitate, there wasn’t the time for that, but he did grimace. There was no hiding he had been stabbed from the Andy Girl. Stabbed worse than Zee—Miss Zeetha.

He didn’t have time to deal with it at any rate; he would have to pretend nothing odd happened and do damage control later. As a bonus it would give him time to think. That always helped.

He turned into the greenhouse and instantly spotted the shredded up nepenthes dulcis before his attention was drawn to the dot of purple on the other side of the room. She was huddled over another figure, and as he approached he watched as she snapped a few times right in Miss Zeetha’s face.

“How is she?” he asked.

Violetta looked up, unsurprised. He hadn’t been trying to hide his approach after all. He would have _hoped_ she would hear him, if she hadn’t it would mean a rather severe drop in quality since the last time he had to deal with Smoke Knights.

“Fading in and out of lucidity.” She shifted to a kneeling position. “I did what I could. I gave her something for the shock and wrapped her with what I had.” He could see that, she has stripped off the top portion of her armor and used the coat Zeetha had been wearing to wrap her up. Without much thought he shucked what was left of his own jacket. She looked cold.

“The armor kept the sword from going all the way through, but it also meant that she had to jerk it to get it back out – that may have done some extra damage… but I think she’ll be okay,” Violetta continued as she accepted the jacket from him, giving him an odd look that he ignored. She lifted Miss Zeetha up just enough for Higgs to get his arms under her shoulders and knees. He ignored the stare at his own chest, hoping that if he played it off she would let it go. He didn’t want to have to kill her.

He shifted Zeetha into a better position as Violetta put one of her arms around his shoulders and quickly grabbed the discarded chest piece and her swords, carefully setting them on Zeetha’s lap. “There.” She stated as she draped the jacket over Miss Zeetha’s shoulders. He looked down as she did so and just caught the glimmer of metal through the shadow of her hair.

“What—?” he found himself asking.

Violetta shifted the jacket in an attempt to cover it from view. “That’s… just don’t mess with it, alright.” She turned. “I’m going to go catch up with the others, good luck.”

She ran off. Higgs didn’t bother to watch her go. He didn’t have time for that even if the prognosis was better than he had expected. He picked a route without the slightest bit of hesitation or concern. The Castle was back online, and as frustrating as it could be he doubted it would be dumb enough to spring a trap on him now. It had _some_ self-preservation after all.

Though rattling the paintings and doorframes— _that_ it seemed willing to do. He ignored it for a couple of doors before huffing, his shoulders curling up in defense. “If you got somethin’ to say you better _say it_ , before you bust a window or somethin’.”

“You are abandoning the Heterodyne.”

Not abandoning, got permission, part of his mind grumbled but he pushed that aside. Miss Zeetha let out a small hiss and he glanced down to see her still out. He slowed his steps minutely. “You think Klaus Wulfenbach’s boy, The Storm king, a Smoke Knight, and all those other’s ain’t _enough_?”

“They aren’t _you_.”

The worst part is that he understood where the Castle was coming from. Wulfenbach, the Storm wannabe, they were both enemies, or should be enemies at any rate. They both were smitten, that was obvious enough, but in the end was that really enough? Klaus wanted the Castle destroyed and his Lady killed, the Order wanted her as a puppet. Her safety could not be guaranteed with those two, or the Smoke Knight, who was, or should have been at least, loyal to the Order.

But the Castle was back, maybe not at full strength, but back, and those boys were smitten and with the Other as a potential enemy for all three to set their eyes on they had some common ground to worry about before anything else, and Miss Zeetha…

Well she was hurt. Stable for now, enough that he felt comfortable to keep with a power walk to limit jostling compared to a desperate dash, but still endangered.

He wasn’t comfortable leaving his Lady behind. It was unfortunate he was the only one in the Castle they could really trust. With Miss Zeetha down and him having to figure out—

He paused in his thoughts, glancing up briefly before shaking it off and refocusing on his route.

No.

Miss Zeetha seemed trustworthy. From the conversation they’ve had, and her obvious goal in keeping the Lady safe. Her reaction to the Lady’s story and injuries back in the Great Movement chamber was all good signs, and the Lady seemed to like her.

But…

But she had been wearing the same pants the Stumhulten guards had been wearing for the last century, and it was obvious she had some history with the Storm Wannabee, knowing things normal people just didn’t when it came to that family. The cat, strange as he was, seemed to have been the Lady’s longest companion and he didn’t trust her.

No. He couldn’t just trust her. He shouldn’t just trust her. Even if his gut said otherwise.

But that didn’t matter because she was hurt and the Lady was fond of her and so he was getting her help.

Mechanicsburg took care of the people that helped them after all.

“Until there is an heir—”

Higgs couldn’t help but roll his eyes as he was pulled from his thoughts. “Oh, not _that_ line again! I swear—every twenty years… it’s like some kind of echo.”

“I have my priorities,” the Castle replied coldly. “The Heterodyne needs the strongest protectors—!”

“She needs this _girl!_ ” Higgs snapped with more force than he had intended. He scowled into the darkness. At least the glittering of light at the end of the hall meant he would soon be out of there.

“Hmf,” The Castle grunted. “She _is_ a very good fighter,” it admitted. Higgs found himself feeling rather smug. “And very entertaining, but she’ll be no help at _all_ in her current state.”

“Which is why I’m taking her to Mamma’s,” Higgs sighed. He glanced back down, frowning as he noted that Miss Zeetha’s face was tight from pain. She was a very good fighter, if a little reckless, he couldn’t deny that, but…

The fighting was a bonus, but she was so much more than just that, than a bodyguard.

“…And anyway, it ain’t the _fighting_ the Lady needs her for.”

The Castle was silent for a long moment, grinding its gears as it tried to comprehend his remark he was sure. He took the chance to climb up and out the window, grimacing as he bashed Miss Zeetha’s arm against the frame. Her breathing shifted and he glanced down in time to note a crinkled nose and flickering eyelids before she stilled again.

“Ah! You’re talking about Experimental Subjects!”

“No.” Higgs glanced back down again, he could have sworn he’d heard a hiss but she was still.

“Monster fodder?”

“I’m talking about _friends_ you mud hut.” Higgs snapped in exasperation. “How many of the Masters have had _real_ friends? People they could _trust?”_ He hesitated. He wasn’t sure of that yet. He couldn’t allow himself to be sure of that… but he… hoped. “People who actually _liked_ them? That was on their level, _not_ a subject?”

“Ugh that sounds so… so _messy_.” The Castle sounded as if it was grossed out schoolboy. “ _I_ think _you’re_ the only one who ‘actually likes’ this girl.”

That again. _Really_. Higgs set his jaw as he approached the outer wall. “You think what you like.” He grumped after a moment. Miss Zeetha groaned and this time he was sure of it. “I’m done talkin’ to you,” he warned.

“I see…” the Castle replied. Higgs could still hear the disproval in its tone. He scowled. Stupid upshot shack, throwing its weight around like _it_ had _seniority_ or _rank_.

The Castle could think what it liked, that was _not_ the reason…

It was just a bonus.

Miss Zeetha groaned again.

Higgs hopped down from the wall to the ground just inside the door. No need to show off outside the walls, the Wulfenbach boy had blown the gate after all.

The fact it was still blown was a huge sign of just how weak the Castle was. Higgs bit his lip and continued on.

 

The noises continued until finally one was accompanied with a glimpse of her brown eyes before she shut them fast with another hiss. “Sanin,” she groaned. “Udan?”

He didn’t know what she was saying. He was still surprised she had awoken at all, even if maybe he shouldn’t have been. The Smoke Knight had told him she was fading in and out after all, but he answered what he assumed she would want to know.

“Gettin’ you some help.” He glanced down at her as he approached a fortification he knew lead to the tunnel network. “The light will dim in a minute.”

She stifled a whine, which had him rolling his eyes. There was no need to play tough. Pain was pain.

“We’ll be there soon.”

“_ga-t-ta?”

“She’s fine,” he answered simply. She was to out of it for more.

She was quite long enough he figured she had gone out again, so he started slightly as she muttered into his shoulder.

“St-pid.”

He frowned and glanced down at her to find her face to at ease for her to be awake.

 

“Vot heppened to hyu?” Mamma asked as she caught sight of a familiar but bloodied form from the corner of her eye. “Dis iz tvice dis veek, tryink to katch up to de odder boys?” Her head tilted as his footsteps betrayed that not only was he bloodied but also limping. She turned with a worried frown that disappeared in an instant.

“My, my vat iz dis?” Mamma smirked as Higgs walked up to the bar. “Neffer tought Hy'd see de day hyu brought a gurl in here.”

To her surprise and absolute glee Higgs couldn’t help a blush from climbing up the back of his neck to his ears. Mamma crackled and her eyes took on a sparkle that would scare anyone who hadn’t known her since they were in swaddling clothes.

“Schot up,” he snapped. “She’s been hurt.” He all but shoved her into Mamma’s arms before storming off in the other direction, presumably, or at least Mamma hoped so, to clean himself up.

Mamma crackled again as she watched him go. She hadn’t seen him that flustered since he was a boy, and she certainly had never expected to see it again, let alone because of some _girl_. This was going to be _fun._

A groan reminded her she had a patient and she looked down to find half lidded eyes starting up at her, a face pinched in pain.

“Don't vorry sveethot, Hy gets hyu fixed op lippidy split,” Mamma reassured her as she turned to the door to the first basement. Two of her girls ran ahead to prepare for her without being asked. Mamma eyed Zeetha as she descended, the bloodied makeshift bandage wasn’t a great sign but her stubborn lucidity was. “Vot heppened to hyu two,” She couldn’t help but wonder thinking back to Higgs bloody form. It had been a long time since she’s last seen his regeneration abilities run out before he’d been fully healed, but he had certainly been trailing some blood on her floors. Not even his adventure with good old Klaus had managed that. Dimo hadn’t exactly been _wrong_ when he implied Higgs was only still around to nap. Broken bones took longer to heal of course, especially when one didn’t want them to, but for him to be bleeding from what could only be called light cuts…

She glanced down at the girl hoping for an answer of some kind, her staying awake until she could fix her up would be helpful, but all Zeetha managed to do was crinkle her nose, a hiss coming from her mouth.

“St-pid.” She all but breathed.

Mamma snorted. “If hyu are talkink about dot boy hyu are probably roight,” She happily replied. She had always _wanted_ a chance to do this. Zeetha didn’t reply but beyond the pain Mamma could sense something else, her gaze softened. “Hy'm sure voteffer heppened hyu deed _fine_.” Zeetha wouldn’t know it but it wasn’t any everyday enemy that could do what she saw on Higgs. And Higgs wasn’t one to allow himself to be beaten up even for his cover. Not to that extent.

Zeetha made what could best be described as a grunt, and through the pain Mamma couldn’t be sure if she had understood her at all. Instead she turned her head into Mamma’s shoulder and just breathed.

Or well, more than just breathed actually, Mamma realized a moment later, but counted controlled breaths. The kind used against pain and fading consciousness. It was a good sign for awareness at the very least and also a bad one for unnecessary guilt and frustration.

Mamma sighed and continued on.

 

He had gotten more cut up than he had thought, the stab and the slash on his chest was the worst of course, but what he had mostly thought was clothing damage also showed cuts of mostly shallow depth, most of which had already closed up. He had a bad one in his arm that didn’t want to heal though, annoyingly, not after his chest. He was going to have to stitch it up, even with another dose of battledraught in his system it was two pulled apart.

He was living proof that eventually battledraught got less effective, good thing over the years he had needed it less and less. Mamma had her colors, he healed faster than anyone else, with more control than anyone else… for a time at any rate.

He hated when he had to stitch himself up, he never seemed fast enough once it started healing again to cut them free before they started healing over.

Higgs sighed and leaned back on his chair, tilting his wounded arm in the low light of the lamp as he took his first suture. It was a bit dimmer than ideal, but he had worked with worse, and besides he didn’t want to bother the sleeping patient behind him.

Not that it seemed to matter much as said patient let out a low groan when he was about half way through his stitches. He tied the knot on his current suture and left the rest to be dealt with later. Getting up he grabbed the vial and the cup next to it. He knew the drill and Mamma always left the exact amount she wanted used with any one patient and not a drop more at their bedside, in case of accidents. He mixed it with some water and approached.

Miss Zeetha let out another small groan and blinked open her eyes. Higgs held up the cup to her lips and she took a sip before cringing, her body curling up as if in pain. Higgs pursed his lips but knew that just meant it was working. He put the rest of the cup to the side for later.

“How do you feel?”

“Uggghhek,” Zeetha let out before allowing herself to fall back to the bed.

“That’s good,” Higgs replied dryly. Better than dead at least.

“Agatha…?” Zeetha breathed, her eyes starting to come into focus with each blink. Higgs sighed at the question. At least it was a good sign. He reached over and brushed some hair out of her face. For a second she looked very lost and very confused. Her hair up in twin braids making her looks so very young. So, _so_ very young.

Higgs swallowed down the sudden surge of uncomfortableness. “Now don’t you be worrying ‘bout her,” He tried to sooth. “She’ll be fine. At least for a little while.” A stirring in his chest made him wonder just who he was really trying to comfort, her or himself.

Miss Zeetha pulled away from his hand as if stung. “No thanks to _me_ ,” She cried, glaring at the far wall. “I _failed_ her—”

“Now you stop that,” Higgs snapped. Miss Zeetha froze her eyes falling on him as he straightened. The last thing he wanted her to do was tear herself apart. She needed to learn not to go into despair. That taught nothing.

“Look, you’re good,” Higgs started. “But you’re what? Early twenties?” he hoped so at least, he really, _really_ hoped so… “And Romanian isn’t your first language is it?” He added as an afterthought, “You’re _not_ from around here.”

“So,” Miss Zeetha replied her voice taking on a dangerous tint. Good.

“Probably from some cut off backwater, yes?” he continued as if he hadn’t heard her. Her face closed off even more and she glared at him. He took that as a yes. “Where I’m guessin’ you were used to bein’ one o’ the toughest things around.” Miss Zeetha’s nose flared briefly and her lip twitched, but she held it together. So close.

“And that overconfidence almost got you killed. But the important word there is ‘ _almost_.’”

Miss Zeetha snapped. She barred her teeth up at him. “Don’t talk to me like you’re my _wise_ old Grandma,” She snapped at him, a tint to her words he didn’t fully understand but didn’t pay attention too. He had found his opening and he pushed.

“Heh, An’ I bet you’re ol’ Grandma was one of the few back home who could take you on, and I bet she would tell you the same thing.” he replied easily. “There are old folks here that can teach you plenty—if you are _smart_ enough to realize that you still have a lot to learn.”

From the corner of his eye he watched as she physically recoiled, and for a second he wondered if he had pushed too far, maybe bringing up intelligence again hadn’t been his smartest move, but then she sprung back, teeth bared, her coloring back to normal. She all but growled at him. Ah, perfect.

It was a little dangerous, riling her up while she was on battledraught he knew, that sip was unlikely the only dose she had gotten so far knowing Mamma, but it would speed up the healing, it got her out of that funk before it could even really start, and he hopefully had gotten a lesson through to her that she really needed to hear. So all in all Higgs couldn’t help but feel smug as he turned away from her.

“I’m going to learn what I need to protect Agatha,” Miss Zeetha snapped as if offended. “And then I’m going to kick you’re—”

Higgs froze as Zeetha suddenly and fully cut off mid word. Dread bubbled as he turned, terrified he had pushed her too far and something had gone wrong. He stalled in confusion as he caught sight of her. Her far arm was up, as if she had been gesturing with it, but now was still. She stared at it as if she had never seen it before and as he watched she slowly trailed her view down, getting paler as she went, until she hit her shoulder. Her other hand clutched at the blanket that covered her tighter and tighter until it was white as his jacket had been.

Her arm dropped. Her eyes were wide. “Get out.” She said quietly, her voice attempting calm but wavering. “Please.”

“What…” Higgs could only ask, thrown by the sudden mood switch.

“Get out! Out! Mor baken ot!” She snapped, her head whipping to look at him, her eyes wide and shaky, wet with unshed tears. He stumbled back, her panic causing him to panic in his confusion and he escaped the room as quickly as possible, pulling the door closed with an unintentional slam that caused the subtly reinforced doorframe to rattle.

Higgs blinked at the closed door as his panic cooled and only confusion remained. Then his head slammed into it as he was smacked from behind. He turned and glared at Mamma. Her glare was significantly worse.

“Vot vere hyu _doink_ in dere?” She hissed.

“I was jus’ keeping an eye on her.”

Mamma stared at him in a way that brought him back centuries, to the way she had always looked at him as he attempted to weasel them out of trouble as children. He felt as stupid now as he had back then, as well as lost. Back then at least he had an idea on what he was doing wrong.

She sighed heavily and snatched up his arm, leading him, or rather, nearly dragging him down the hall. “Ana!” She snapped to one of her girls. “Go check on Miss Zeetha, see if hyu can gets her a nightgown or somthink else to coffer her op, und for the goot Heterodyne’s sake, knock first.”

They were well passed the girl by the time Mamma finished, and Higgs could just see her nod in understanding in the distance before Mamma pulled on his arm and shoved him into one of her storage rooms.

“Hyu, schopid, schopid boy,” She sighed, rubbing her eyes.

“Vat _I_ do?” Higgs snapped back, embarrassed but also frustrated.

“Hyu _idiot_ , hyu saw da collar on her neck, ja?”

Higgs froze, miscellaneous observations starting to snap into place. “Ah—”

“A _slave_ collar, and hyu knowz vat pretty gurls like her, vit different hair und skin offen end op ven in _slavery_?”

The implications of her words hit him suddenly and with force. “…oh.”

“Ja, _oh_.”

“But, hy… hy didn’ _mean_ to… hy wasn’ gunna do anythink—”

“Uf _cawzes_ not, she may effen _know_ dat,” Mamma countered, resting a hand on one hip. Her voice softened. “Dozn’t schtop da panic dough.”

Higgs eyes dropped to the floor. The two stood in silence for a long moment. Finally he asked, “Waz she… really…?”

Mamma frowned. “Dats none uf hyu’re buizness, now iz it?”

Higgs winced. “No, hyu’re ah… _you’re_ right.”

“Hmph, ov cazwze hy’m right. Hyu jus’ leave dat gurl alone fer a bit, ja.” She grabbed his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Then she sniffed and rolled her eyes. “Und finish gettink dat vound stitched op, hyu gettink blood all offer my floors.”

 

Her head hurt. She couldn’t remember the last time it hadn’t hurt. Even after Agatha had pumped her with power it had still dully pounded.  Zeetha was pretty sure that meant it wasn’t a physical injury, but really she had already known that.

The past years had left her with an injury of the mind, denying that would be as stupid as denying a broken leg or a stab to the gut. She had known that for a while now, suspected her lack of voice had more to do with that than any unseen physical injury.

And like a broken bone it needed time to heal, but a broken leg in a warzone wasn’t the time to sit down and rest, even if fighting made it worse. That led to death. This was no different.

Zeetha was no fool, this place was a warzone even if the combat had yet to start.

Zeetha tensed at a knock at the door. She stared into the pillow she was hugging. Her one hand clutched one of her swords, still hilted but within ready access.

She was shaky, a nauseous energy trembling under her skin, on edge and she felt so, _so_ stupid. The thousand thoughts racing through her mind that wouldn’t leave wasn’t helping in that regard: from Higgs, from her own stupid brain. Being alone with them was far from appealing but she so didn’t want to be near anyone else either. She closed her eyes and buried her face into the pillow, frustrated, her grip on the sword’s hilt under her pillow tightening.

“It’s me,” a familiar voice rang from the other side of the door. Zeetha blinked and sighed through her nose. Of all the people in the world she could think of, there was only one other person she would prefer be on the other side of that door, and it was far better than who she thought it _would_ be.

“Okay,” she sighed after a moment, pulling away from the pillow only long enough to speak the words before she plopped back down.

The door opened.

“Dozn’ it hurt to lay like dat?” Mamma asked as she walked in. Zeetha counted the steps even as she grunted in response, keeping track of where she was even with her eyes closed.

“Deed hyu drink op all hyur draught?” Mamma asked as she pulled up a seat, close but not at her bedside. Zeetha’s inside turned, she appreciated the gesture but was still annoyed it was so obvious she needed it.

Zeetha lazily flapped a hand words the empty mug, wincing as it pulled against healing skin. After Ana had helped her dress and handed her, her sword, she had demanded she finish it. Zeetha had even if the taste made her want to gag.

“Goot, hyu vill be op in no time den.”

It went quite for a while, Mamma’s painted claws clicking against the armrest in thought. Zeetha too tired to even think of saying anything she didn’t have too.

“Dot boy,” Mamma finally started. “He’s a Schtopid boy, bot he deedn’t—”

Zeetha sighed. “I know he didn’t.” Zeetha scowled at herself. She had known he hadn’t meant anything even as she ordered him from the room. Known he hadn’t even as her hands trembled and her face flushed. “I’m the one who was stupid. There is nothing wrong with—”

“Dere iz ven hyu deedn’ choose to be,” Mamma interrupted. Voice light but firm. “Und Hy certainly deedn’ tell him to be vatchink hyu. He vas sumvere he schouldn’t haff been. Plain und simple.”

 Zeetha sighed in annoyance as she rolled over, grimacing at the slight pull in her chest. Still, it itched more than it hurt, something she supposed she should be grateful for, even if the itching was slowly driving her mad.

She glanced at Mamma out of the corner of her eye. “Still annoyed. Wouldn’t have bothered me before.” She grumbled even as she knew Mamma was right. Mamma didn’t comment. There was really nothing to comment on.

“Vat deed dot boy say to hyu dot has hyu so opset?” Mamma instead asked after a moment. Zeetha made a face at the ceiling, annoyed with apparently being so easy to read.

“Nothing he…” She trailed off. She knew ultimately that he had been trying to make her feel better, or at least keep her from moping. Still his words had hit a cord, multiple ones really, slashed open an old scar. He couldn’t have known, but it still pained, it still broke a dam she had thought she had fixed.

She sighed. “He said some things. About my home. My family. Me.”

Mamma snorted and Zeetha glanced over in surprise. “Ja, und vat iz he really buildink dat from? Assumptions? Chust cawse he says it doesn’t mean its truth.”

Practically Zeetha knew that. Higgs had called her city, her _civilization_ , of nearly a 100, 000, a backwater. He had thought comparing himself to her grandmother a _good_ thing. He had the audacity to assume that she was anywhere near the best Skifandrian fighter, that she was the kind of person to let that (ultimately _false_ fact) go to her head. Ultimately she should have discarded his words just for that, but—

Zeetha rubbed at her eyes. “Tired of not being good enough,” she admitted.

“Vho sayz hyu are not goot enough?”

“Higgs,” Zeetha replied, her voice lifeless. She closed her eyes. “Not wrong. Wasn’t good enough for Grandmother. Wasn’t good enough to escape. Wasn’t good enough to help Agatha.”

Mamma was quite for a long moment. Zeetha cracked an eye open to see her considering her, her eyes serious and narrowed.

“Vell, if hyu feel dot vay, den get bedder.”

Zeetha grimaced, her hand tightening against her sword until her it began to ache, her other hand screwing up the sheet below until the skin was taunt and white. “Higgs said that to,” she mumbled tiredly.

“Dot’s sum reaction,” Mamma mused, Zeetha grimaced again. “Vy?”

“Tried that before,” Zeetha explained glancing away. Memories of her teenage years sweeping past and almost dragging her with them: Grandmothers’ harsh criticism while her mother was away at war. Long days of training, until she threw up, until she passed out. Uncle Nod banning her from the training rooms trying to stop her. At some point going from caring too much to not caring at all. Missions taken specifically so she would be alone, so she could be reckless. Wanting to help, wanting to mean something but at the same time not caring about her safety, about her life. Mother having to punish her to the kitchens like a child in a desperate bid to keep her alive.

She had never wanted to be like that again. She had failed.

“Mother says it’s a miracle that I survived with no permanent injuries,” she finished closing her eyes, tired, so damn tired. She didn’t want to be like this, too weak to help the people she carried about most, but she was so damn _tired_.

“In dot case,” Mamma said, her voice a bit tight, uncertain for once. Zeetha cracked a small, humorless smirk. Even someone as composed as her couldn’t deal with her shit. “Den hyu really schouldn’t listen to Higgs,” Mamma continued. “Growink is important, bot don’t let him make hyu feel hyu haff to do it for _him_. Hyu don’t haff to be bedder right avay. Hyu don’t haff to be perfect.”

Zeetha didn’t reply and the silence turned awkward. Mamma was right of course, she knew that, but her heart still felt heavy and the voice in the back of her head didn’t seem to understand the concept. As the silence dragged on Zeetha grew restless, twitchy. She flicked at her sheath with her thumb, frowning as it didn’t slide down slightly as she had expected it too.

She sat up, ignoring the pull in her chest and freed her sword from the pillow, examining it.  She pulled it from its sheath, noting how it stuck slightly, and she grit her teeth as she realized it hadn’t been cleaned. Dried blood stained the sword, and likely the sheath’s inside. Her stomach turned as she realized that it was very likely her blood she was staring at.

She snapped the sword back in with a scowl. Heat crawled up her bones and through her nerves. How could she have been so stupid?

“Und—” Zeetha jumped, face burning as Mamma spoke once more. She had somehow forgotten she was even there. “Hy don’t know about hyur Grandmamma, or vot hyu vent drough before comink here, but vo sayz hyu deedn’ help de Lady. Can hyu really say she vould haff been bedder off vitout hyu dere?” Mamma asked seriously.

Zeetha almost retorted but hazy memories stopped her: a sword throw, cut vines, Zola being distracted from Agatha if nothing else—

“Seez, sumtimez help izn’t savink de day, no?”

—Everything being funny, looking away from an enemy, forgetting the enemy had already shown she was more than she seemed, being disarmed and stabbed with her _own_ sword. Pain flared in her chest as if she had been stabbed again. Her teeth grit and her eyes felt heavy.

Her fists slammed against the bed leaving a very unsatisfying thump. Mamma jumped at her side, her chair rattling slightly. Zeetha heaved for a second, trying to pull the itch to lash out back in, the anger back in. Her face twisted but after another deep and painful breath she calmed it, even as she bit out with as much self-loathing as she could muster, “I don’t understand.”

“Don’t understand vat?”

Zeetha glared at her lap, at the sword. Then all the anger was gone and she slumped. “Why I was so stupid.”

“Schtopid, ven?”

Zeetha turned and glared at her. Mamma grimaced.

“Alright, alright, vat heppened?”

“I was stupid,” Zeetha grumbled stubbornly. Mamma sighed.

“Und Hy’m about to ban dat vord from hyu. _Vot_ happened?”

Zeetha was half tempted to say it again, to drive Mamma from the room. She didn’t want pity, she didn’t want empty comfort. She was confused and tired and her head buzzed with an energy she wasn’t sure she liked. Anger thrummed in her bones and part of her wanted nothing more than to just snap and go on a rampage. She forced that down as far as she could go, even if it was against everything her mother had ever taught her, to control her emotions not suppress them. Who cared, he mother wasn’t here. With her luck she would never see her again. And anyway she was tired of losing control, of not having control, she just wanted to be in control for _once_ —

Zeetha took a breath, a stuttering breath, and something deep inside her throbbed.

“Sveetie,” Mamma said softly, and something snapped. Mamma wasn’t her mother, not nearly, but she reminded her of her, just a little, like the painting had, and she was so, _so_ tired.

A tear broke free, Zeetha let it go. “I don’t… don’t know.” Her voice trembled, she let it go.

A hand lightly touched her shoulder, carefully, testing. Zeetha let it. “Try from de begginink den.”

Zeetha rubbed at her face even as a few more tears broke free. “Me… me and Higgs… we were chasing Pinky… we chased her into this room… it was so bright. Full of plants—I… everything gets… foggy then. I don’t—” Zeetha shook her head harshly; confusion and shame welling up she tried to piece together what happened. Why had she been so stupid?

“They were there… trapped. Gil was being eaten… by a plant?” Zeetha paused, uncertain. That had been real, right? She wasn’t sure. “Everything was heavy, everything was… funny. I just wanted to laugh. Agatha was trapped and Pinky was trying to kill her and I wanted to laugh.” Her teeth grit. Her jaw hurt.

“Nepenthes dulcis” Mamma snarled with so much hate that Zeetha was ripped from her self-loathing to flinch away. She glanced over to see her glaring at the floor. Mamma seemed to catch herself after a moment and relaxed slightly, allowing Zeetha to do the same. “It’z a plant vun uf de Master’s planted, it has druggink effects… he hyused it to keep his vifs happy… dey deedn’ like him all dot moch…” She explained. As Zeetha slowly comprehended this she turned and glared at the floor. “Neffer liked dot plant.”

Zeetha stared at her. “I… was drugged?” She asked weakly.

Mamma nodded. “Likely, yes, und if it vas beeg enough to eat young Wulfenbach den it may haff effen been schtronger den Hy remember. They keept it trimmed pretty small.”

“Oh.”

Zeetha struggled to accept that. It made sense. It explained why her memories got hazy as she entered the room and only then. It explained why she had been so careless, so stupid. Fighting drunk…

She still should have done better. She’d fought drunk before. And nobody else had acted so poorly.

“Vat else did hyu do?”

Zeetha blinked. “What?”

“Vat did hyu do? Hy’m sure hyu didn’t just stand dere.”

Zeetha hesitated, trying to piece together a timeline in her head. “Agatha was trapped, Pinky was attacking…” She started, lips pursing. “I threw my sword… To either hit Pinky or free Agatha and arm her… Pinky dodged but Agatha got free and downed her but…” Zeetha screwed up her face as she tried to remember. She couldn’t remember how Agatha had won, how Pinky had gotten back up.

“She did… something... drank something? ...Got free. Tarvek yelled at me…” Of what she wasn’t sure, probably to stop being stupid. “Told him… to have Agatha free them while I took on Pinky. I looked away, suddenly she was there, grabbed my sword, stabbed me. Went down. Don’t know what happened… but then Higgs was on the ground… and she was going to kill him,” She remembered that, remembered the rage that hit her. “Took Dimo’s knife, stabbed her in the leg. She ran off… after that…” She shook her head. She remembered pain and purple and that damn need to laugh, and laugh, and _laugh_ …but that was it.

“Sounds to me like hyu deed a lot.” Mamma said. Zeetha blinked up at her in surprise. “Hyu saved my Lady, Hyu saved Mr. Higgs, Hyu fought to think smart effen dough hyu vere unknowingly drugged.”

Zeetha glanced away. Yes, but… but… but…

“Hyu vere fightink at a disadvantage, a beeg one. Higgs told me dot de fake downed some drug dot made her fast and strong. Hyu vere drugged, unknowingly. Hyu did hyur best. Hyu schould be proud ov vot dot best vas.”

Zeetha’s face burned, words, Romanian or Skiff, lost to her. Mamma laughed at the look on her face and squeezed her shoulder.

“Und don’t vorry, hyu vill get better, pipples don’t stop growink, not like dat, but Hy thinks hyu are pretty goot right vere hyu stand right now too.”

Zeetha face burned even more and Mamma laughed harder. She stood, her hand sliding from her shoulder and Zeetha felt a slight loss at its absence.

“Let me gets hyu somthink to drink, perhaps sum maiden’s tea?” She said with a grin. She glanced down at the sword in Zeetha’s lap and tsked with a shake of her head. “Und sumtink to clean op dose svords as vell, ja.”

As she was opening the door Zeetha found her words. “Thank you,” She said, the words pitched funny, quite, but heartfelt. Mamma paused, and then waved a hand over her shoulder.

“Now, now, hy told hyu it vas on de hawze didn’t I,” she answered and left.

 

Mamma found him at the bar. He sat at the far end, where the bar met the wall, more out of consideration than anything else, this way there would only be five chairs empty instead of ten as where he went a gap of respect was sure to follow.

She rounded the bar and approached him, some of her boys and girls greeted her and the bar hands acknowledged her but nobody tried to grab her attention despite the near certainty she was needed for dozens of things right then. With word of the new Lady spreading and war almost certainly on the horizon the chaos and tension had skyrocketed along with the good cheer. They could tell that despite her amused smirk and easy gait that she was a woman on a mission.

Higgs waved his mug slightly in hello as she drew near. He was once again changed into an airman outfit, one of the many he kept stored here for emergencies, and from the nasty looking scar on his arm she could tell that he had also once again been to slow to pull his stiches before they healed over. Silly boy.

“Chust saw hyu’r gurlfriend,” She teased loudly as a greeting and crackled heartily as red burned up Higgs neck to his cheeks and ears, and even more so as a Jäger sitting at a booth a good ten feet behind him choked on her drink. Higgs sputtered a bit as she stole a stool from across the bar and sat down as well. One of her girls brought up a large mug and she thanked her quietly, watching as the eavesdropping Jäger, beer all over her shirt, sped off into the chaos. She smirked in glee. As she turned her attention back to Higgs she found him glaring at her, his face in the most adorable pout.

“Not my gurlfriend,”he muttered into the lip of his mug before straightening. “How is she?”

“Hmm,” Mamma hummed casually leaning up against the wall. “Oh, pretty goot for somevun vho vas under de influence ov a plant.” She added offhandedly and lightly as if not a big deal. She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes with a secretive smirk.

Higgs choked on his drink and Mamma’s smirk faded into a pleased grin. ““Goot, I vas hopink hyu had been schopid and forgot, now hy don’ haff to be so mad about dat reckless comment, hmm.”

Higgs was rubbed at his temples. “Segilo of Satyricus Heterodyne,” he muttered in understanding. “How did I forget, I’ve played gardener since that thing was planted.” He leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. “Was a lot smaller before,” he muttered to himself. “Though that was with constant trimming…”

“Jus’ anodder Tuesday for hyu,” Mamma suggested with a shrug. “Und since it deedn’ affect  hyu, hyu deedn’ notice.”

Higgs sighed and rolled his shoulder uncomfortably, quiet for a long moment. “Not so sure that’s right,” He admitted. Mamma raised an eyebrow. “That I wasn’t affected. Never been before but… I remember being amused by her antics not… not stoppin’ her or doin’ anythin’ myself… I should have _stopped_ it.” He gritted his teeth with a scowl.

“Hmm?”

“ _Her._ She was fast but not _that_ fast. I was right there next to her. Miss Zeetha even managed to get a punch in but I just stood there. I could barely even catch her. I should have been able to stop it before it ever happened.”

“Hmm,” Mamma responded, finger tapping her nose. “You would have played your hand.”

“So,” Higgs grumbled before realizing what he said. He slumped and ignored Mamma’s knowing look. “Sayin’ I shouldn’t’ve.”

“No, just saying you would have,” she answered lightly. “Could that have played a part of it?”

Higgs was quite for a long moment and then sighed. “Came up plenty of times… but… that time it didn’ even cross my mind.”

Mamma nodded. A tease at the tip of her tongue that she swallowed down. It wasn’t the right time. Scaring him away wasn’t the plan at the moment. “Den hyu’re right. It vas probably de plant, perhaps not knowink it vas dere vas enough to affect hyu vile knowin’ about it gives hyu enough sense ov mind to fight off any influence.” Mamma mused and then frowned. “I hate dat plant.”

Higgs grunted and took a draw of beer. “Never liked it myself.”

“Perhaps our new Lady vill gets rid ov it, or at least moff it?”

“Got her pretty good so I could see it.” Higgs shrugged. “Though I don’t see her using the Segilo, got her hands full enough wit’ the two of ‘em.”

“Ah, hyu’re placink hyur bet on both, hmm?” She asked. Higgs ignored her and she crackled.

She allowed him to enjoy his beer for a while, looking instead across her domain and the many people in it. It had been a long time since so many healthy Jäger graced these halls. Healthy sometimes being a rather lose term. She was more than a little busy cleaning up Jäger who should have come to her years ago but had stubbornly refused not to. Cornering them was such a pain. She really should get back to it. Who knew when they were going to be needed and she wanted as many ready to go as possible when they were. Klaus’ Empire was no simple fight after all, and this was no fun battle. This was a fight for their home and life.

She looked back to Higgs. He was staring down at his beer. No. She had a little more time to spare, for her oldest friend at any rate.

“Hyu goink to start or shall hy?” She asked plainly. He started and glanced up at her through his bangs. Reminding her of when he was a boy.

“Start what?”

“Hy’ll take dat as _Hy_ ,” Mamma mused. “Hyu need to apologize.”

“I’m already plannin’ on it—”

“Not about beink in the room, vell dot too, but about lecturink her.”

“Why do I need to apologies for that?”

“Becawse beink unknowingly drunk and beink reckless arn’ de same ting,” Mamma deadpanned. Becawse hyu don’t know her und haff no right to be lecturink her, becawse hyur lecture vas made op ov assumptions not facts, becawse ultimately it did more harm dan goot.”

“What do you mean by _Dot?”_

Mamma ignored his outburst and instead stared at his face. “Hyu’re scared.”

“Vat?”

“Hyu’re scared. Hyu like dis gurl, a _lot_ , und dis is de first time huy’ve effer liked sumevun like dis1, und becawse of dot hyu haff neffer had to learn how to deal vith likink normals.” She tilted her head. “Hyu haven’t had to deal with caring moch about dem eidder, not since hyu sister’s kids died and hyu lost touch at least—and _dot_ vas centuries ago.”

Higgs looked away and took a gulp of beer. “Just don’t want her to get hurt,” he admitted after a while.

“Nobody vants somvun dey care about to get hurt,” Mamma replied softly. “Bot she is foightink’ gurl, she vill be out in battles and fights, vedder hyu like it or not, dot needs to be respected.”

Higgs didn’t reply, Mamma stood up. “De vorse possible think to do ven liking normal pipples is to treat dem like sum kid instead of respectink dem as de adults dey are.” Mamma glanced out over her murder of Jäger with a thin smile. “Truthfully she’s probally more mature und has more sense den most uv us here.”

Higgs continued to stay silent. Mamma sighed internally. It would have to be enough for now, one conversation was never going to be enough.

“Eidder vay, hyu should go see her.”

“Thought hyu told me to leave her be,” Higgs grumbled. Mamma rolled her eyes. He always had to be difficult didn’t he?

“Hy told hyu to leave her be for _now_ ,” Mamma dryly replied. “Now is offer, go, hyu gots some talkink to do. Chust remember to knock first, ja?”

 

Higgs paused at the door, hand posed to knock. He rolled his eyes at his hesitance; no wonder Mamma found it so amusing to tease him. He took a deep breath to settle himself and knocked.

“Kar?” was his answer. He paused, unsure, but opened the door.

Miss Zeetha looked up from where she was sitting cross legged on the bed. A towel had been laid before her and with a rag and some oil she was in the middle of cleaning and maintaining her swords and their sheaths. She glanced up and seemed a little startled to see him, a little hesitant. A knot formed at his core and didn’t loosen as the look disappeared and she glanced back down.

“Making sure I’m ready,” Miss Zeetha explained. Higgs had half a mind to confiscate her swords at that, she was far to injured to go out fighting any time soon—but Mamma’s words rang in his head, a flash of metal at her neck glinted in the lantern light,  and he shoved the thought away. Mamma was right, he had no right to do that, and even if he did it would be incredibly infantilizing.

Higgs hesitated at the door, at a lost on what to say despite knowing what he needed to do. Miss Zeetha glanced up through her bangs and after a quick glance smirked a little nervously. “You can come in.”

“Right,” Higgs said, taking a step forward and leaving the door open a crack, for her own piece of mind, he assured himself, not as an escape route. Not knowing what to do with his hands, and wishing he had thought to grab more tobacco for his pipe he shoved them into his pockets. “Doin’ better?”

Miss Zeetha nodded, busy with trying to clean some dried blood from the inside of one sheath. He hadn’t exactly been worried about her swords when he had escaped with her. He swallowed when he noticed that her tongue was sticking out slightly as she focused, his hand clenched in his pockets. A grumpy part of his mind grumbled that she was making this harder on purpose, but mostly he just felt foolish. It had been a very, _very_ long time since he had last felt foolish.

He took a deep breath through his nose. Might as well just get it over with.

“Sorry,” The two said at the same time. Both of them jumped and their eyes met, startled. “What?” They asked, once again in synch and their lips twitched as they realized what happened. Higgs chuckled slightly and Miss Zeetha shook her head in amusement. The humor cracked the awkwardness, still present but mush lighter now, and Higgs felt like he could breathe easier, as if leaving a burning house into the open air.

“I’m sorry for acting as I did,” Miss Zeetha broke the amused silence. He looked back at her to see her glancing to the side, her hands stilled. He frowned and shook his head.

“Don’t be,” He replied. “That’s my fault, you have your right to privacy, I shouldn’t’ve been there,” He paused, wanting to explain himself but burned slightly instead. At any rate Miss Zeetha interrupted with a mumble before he could.

“Still annoyed,” She grumbled under her breath. “Wouldn’t have acted like that before.”

Higgs rolled his shoulders and glanced away, feeling vaguely like he hadn’t meant to know that. Not sure what to do or feel that he did.

Miss Zeetha sighed, glanced down at her lap and then what could only be explained as coyly up at him through her bangs. “You?” She asked, curious, as if lost on what he meant.

Higgs blinked, not sure how to take that. “Well, one I want to apologize for being here when I shouldn’t’ve been,” he started. “But mostly… Mamma told me about that plant and well… I misjudged you. I shouldn’t have said what I said…. At least not in the way I said it,” he hesitated, rethinking his words and winced. That wasn’t what he meant, but also kind of was. His goal had been more to get her fired up and angry, to get her out of her depression and to jump-start the draught than to teach her a lesson. That had been secondary. “Figured if you were angry at me you wouldn’t… dwell on things that couldn’t be changed.” He tried to correct.

“Don’t be sorry,” Miss Zeetha replied, startling him, as he had already convinced himself that he had made a mess of his apology. He glanced at her to see her staring at her sword. “You didn’t know. As you saw it, I deserved it.” She sighed heavily. “Still should have done better,” She muttered looking bitter. “Ashtara is testing me.” She added in a grumble.

Higgs shifted awkwardly. “Seems we are at an impasse,” He tried after a moment. Miss Zeetha glanced up at him, a bit confused but insight drew on her and she smiled slightly.

“Seems so.”

“Agree to disagree,” He suggested. “And call ourselves equal?”

“Deal.” Miss Zeetha nodded lightly. The two grinned at each other, humor once again radiating through the air allowing Higgs to relax. Maybe Mamma was right, he mused. He liked this girl, he had said as much even. He glanced away at this thought, lips twitched in a slightly bittersweet way. And at any rate, it was already obvious it was too late to stop, no matter how much it would hurt decades from now. Trying would just mean it hurt now instead of later. He wouldn’t say anything, but at the very least he could do was admit it to himself. Enjoy his time with her while he had it.

He turned back, feeling like a weight had lifted from his shoulders, only to start slightly as he realized Miss Zeetha’s face was a little red despite the faint, pleased grin she wore as she returned to her work. His shoulder’s tensed as it suddenly occurred to him that maybe he _should_ say something… anything, maybe…

“I—” Higgs started without thinking.

“BOOM!” The world interrupted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dammit Stop cockblocking!
> 
> Skiff Glossary:  
> Sanin: Bright, from San'gin (Sun-like)  
> Udan: What  
> Mor baken ot: I said/say/speak (get) out!  
> Kar: Yes.
> 
> Footnotes:  
> 1\. I will fight for the extremely grey-romantic Higgs headcanon. That Zeetha is the first person he has ever felt this way towards. Which is why despite being stupid old he acts like a teenager with his first crush half the time and gets so flustered. And also it’s one of the reason’s in canon he’s so overprotective and honestly kind of dependent on Zeetha (Zeetha gets nothing from Higgs having her headpiece, while Higgs gets to know she’s alright wherever she is, it benefits him and him alone) Not to mention his freak out over a couple of bruises…
> 
> Also to share, I totally headcanon Zeetha as grey-romantic pansexual as well. Higgs is the first person she’s ever felt romantic feelings for but not her first relationship. She was (In canon, not here) in a pretty long, very open, friends with benefits (Which I also headcanon as the default sexual relationship of Skifander by the way) with Yeti for at least a year (Yeti being her boyfriend at least as long as Agatha is with the Circus is Canon, the rest is Headcanon). So while she doesn’t really have experience with her feelings she does have more experience with relationships than Higgs dose.


	20. In Which The Baron Disappear

Elsewhere and some time before

“She’s in here,” Doctor Sun stated as he rushed officer Ros. The Princess was early. Word of her arrival had come just after Gil had made his showy exit. Klaus wasn’t even in the Healing Engine yet, though thankfully Doctor Sun wasn’t needed for the prepping. He had left his Granddaughter too it, it would be good practice for her and it would give him time to get this _thing_ out of _his_ Hospital as soon as possible.

The officer entered the room, all cheer and good natured smiles. A far cry from the solemn frown he had sported as he had been updated. Doctor Sun left him too it, turning away and briefly allowing himself a slump. As much as he loathed to admit it he was beginning to falter, as soon as Klaus was taken cared of he was going to have to rest or else he was going to do something stupid.

He looked up and blinked as he spotted his orderly Mr. Thomson loitering just ahead. There was a bunkroom nearby; he must have been on his way there. At any rate he looked as bad as Doctor Sun felt, haggard, with dark circles under his eyes. None the less he was one of his most trusted orderlies and he didn’t have time to go searching for another, more rested one.

“Mr. Thomson,” he called out, and Mr. Thomson jumped and turned, looking so startled it almost came across as panicked. “My apologies, but I have one more task for you before you can go rest. Klaus’s room needs to be cleaned up, with as many people who have been finding their way there I want it swept clean to avoid anyone getting the bright idea of taking any…samples.”

For a moment Mr. Thomson looked like a kicked puppy, but it was gone in an instant, instead a carefully blank face nodded his consent. As he left Doctor Sun made a mental reminder to offer a bonus to the man once this was over… and perhaps another vacation as well.

Doctor Sun took off in the opposite direction, scowling as the world swayed for a second. He truly was too tired for all of this.

 

A small bit later

Dr. Sun sighed as he took a sip of his tea, feeling a slight bit more rested if nothing else. The chaos of his hospital had kept him from staying down for long and he was still exhausted. A buzz flew past and his grip on his cup tightened as he searched for the will to keep his calm. Was this really what his hospital had degraded too, bugs flying everywhere, even in the most secure of rooms?

He sighed and glanced over at the large armored Healing Engine that took up most of the room. Shaking his head he took another sip—

Most healing engines, especially full body ones, were designed to keep their patient asleep. This was mostly as a mercy, as the pain from a healing engine often hurt worse than the injury itself. In fact the pain inflicted by a full body healing engine often was enough to keep a person under on its own, though Dr. Sun was ever thorough and made sure all of his had proper anesthetic delivering systems that he could control to the slightest picoliter.

That said, Dr. Sun really wasn’t that surprised when Klaus hand smashed a hole through his armored machine. Shocked he might admit to, the tea stain dribbled down his lab coat forcing his honestly, but in hindsight not surprised.

Klaus always did have to be the exception in health matter, up to using it as an excuse for not following his orders.

And though it didn’t happen often anymore, was an absolute pain to deal with when he truly lost himself to the Spark’s grip.

“KLAUS!” Dr. Sun hollered as the door of the healing engine was kicked off and embedded into the wall across the room. “Calm down, your son is fine!” Well, Dr. Sun didn’t know that for sure, but the Castle had stopped attacking Castle Wulfenbach hours ago and there were no signs that he _wasn’t_ fine.

Klaus wasn’t listening and made a beeline for the door, either unknowing or more likely uncaring that he was completely bare. He didn’t even pause as the IV still attached to his arm snapped out and went flying back towards the machine.

The lab’s door opened and several guards came roaring in, only to pause at their boss’ naked form. Dupree pushed past them unperturbed, only to her embarrassment freeze as Klaus didn’t even flinch and pulled his arm back to swat her out of the way.

Klaus’ hand stilled just moments from hitting Bang across the room. She did as best she could to pretend she wasn’t relived. His face shifted several times: shock, fear, and then confusion. He glanced around the room and then finally backed away and sat heavily on a gurney.

“Are you done now?” Dr. Sun grumped. His sleeves had been pushed up, having been moments away from taking matters into his own hands. Klaus nodded minutely. Dr. Sun frowned, something nagging at him, but waved the guards and Dupree out of the room. “Good.”

Dr. Sun walked over and examined his patient. He seemed lost and exhausted but otherwise well on the mend if not fully healed. Dr. Sun poked and prodded without mercy checking his observations more thoroughly, but as he approached his neck Klaus smacked his hand away.

Dr. Sun eyed him aghast and even Klaus seemed shocked for a moment, before an odd expression flicked on his face and then it was gone, replaced by grumpy exhaustion.

“Are you done?”

“Fine,”Dr. Sun snapped, exhaustion and stress driving him. He took a deep breath in an attempt to reel them back in and opened his gaze once more, face stern. “But you are staying in bed, your son is safe and your aid is taking care of your Empire.”

Klaus looked as if wanted to say something but for some reason didn’t. Dr. Sun frowned, possibly an effect of the drugs? Odd.

“As much as I hate having animals in my hospital,” Dr. Sun continued. “The Vesper squad has arrived, and they can guard you. You’ve already ruined my engine, and it will be awhile until I have a proper spare.”

Klaus grunted. “Can I at least get some pants?”

“Hmph, we’ll see,” Dr. Sun frowned, trying to figure out where to place Klaus now. He couldn’t share a ward with anyone, it was too dangerous, but the Hospital was already far beyond full.  He would need to move even more patients out into the nearby hotels. “Perhaps if you are good I’ll even allow you to do some paperwork.”

Klaus groaned.

At least it seemed that stupid fly was gone.

 

The Jäger around her hooted and Zeetha smiled with some bemusement as the knot in her stomach slowly loosened. After the explosion Higgs had rushed out to see what was going on, and to her annoyance hadn’t returned. Taking matter into her own hands she had managed with stubborn persistence to demand herself dressed in a slightly too large tunic and a pair of patchy slacks, and then upstairs.

Mamma had all but plopped her at a table, demanded she slowly eat an entire bowl of stew, and not get up, but it was still better than being left to rot in that room. Here she was at least in the middle of all the chaos.

Though chaos may have been a bit strong of a word, surprisingly enough. It certainly was busy though. Despite Mamma’s Gkika’s bar being firmly closed it had far more people in it than the last time she had been here. People came in and out bringing information and looking for orders. So far all that anyone knew was that there had been a large explosion at the hospital.

There was always at least fifty Jäger around, sometimes more, though they slowly filtered out, sneaking away into the evening to hide until they were needed. Zeetha honestly would have expected more, but she suspected someone of rank was downstairs making sure only the ones who were supposed to be upstairs made their way up.

The Jäger, most waiting for their turn to sneak out, had made for good company, thought at first they hadn’t as they crowded around her as if she was some spectacle, everyone seeming to want to get a good look. Boredom, perhaps or curiosity drove them over as they waited. She had apparently fought some of them back during the bar fight, one had even proudly showed her a nearly healed black eye she had given him, seeming pleased it was still around.

Zeetha had smiled awkwardly and nodded. She had never had rarely had so much attention so close, and when she had it was never pleasant. Though logically she knew better part of her was just waiting for the hidden swing.

Dimo had appeared then, Maxim and Oggie not far behind. His presences had shooed them off slightly, though they still hung around.

“Here,” he had said passing her, her staff. “Dought hyu may vant dis.”

Zeetha rubbed a thumb over the half-finished pattern she had carved into it. Already finished eating (She may have eaten a little faster than she had been supposed to…) she was bored; carving the rest out would at least give her something to do with her hands—

Oh, _right_.

Zeetha grimaced and glanced up at Dimo. “I lost your knife,” she admitted.

“Oh? How?”

“Stabbed Pinky in the leg, it got stuck, she ran off with it there.”

“Pinky?”

“The Fake Heterodyne.”

Dimo grinned darkly as Maxim and Oggie burst out in laughter, as did some of the horde of Jäger nearby. “Dat’s not lost, schounds like hyu put its right vere it’s schupposed to be.” He pulled out another one from his belt and handed it to her with a wink. “So hyu kan puts it avay again if hyu gets de chance.” He offered.

Zeetha smiled slightly and shook her head in amusement as she took the offered blade. She had her own now, sitting on the table beside her, but she couldn’t carve with those.

Oggie and Maxim took the other two seats at her little table as Dimo leaned on a column nearby. Zeetha suspected they were giving her a little cover from the horded that hung around talking with each other while rather badly attempting to subtly watch her. She appreciated it.

“Soooo,” Oggie started while trying to sneak away her mug of ale. Zeetha swiped at his hand with her knife, nicking him slightly. With a few snickers from the horde he pulled it away with a pout. “Vat hyu doink here?”

“Ja, ve heard hyu gots hurt?” Maxim continued.

Dimo sighed from behind her and she felt her brief good mood crash. Of course they would want to know, she thought as she carefully cut out a new line, she wasn’t with Agatha anymore. The whole horde would want to know what’s going on.

With that thought in mind she told them. Her voice loud enough to travel to the others, who quieted and slowly drew near once more.

She had been embarrassed. The Jäger hadn’t let her stay that way. It wasn’t the best story, she couldn’t really remember half of it, and at the moment she wasn’t the greatest storyteller either, but the Jäger gasped as she mentioned Pinky’s attack on Agatha, hooted as she explained her sword throw and Agatha beating Pinky down, grumbled over Pinky’s cheating with the drugs, ooohed over her being blindsided and stabbed, and hooted again as she drew up the energy to take one last stab into Pinky’s calf.

She had looked up at them afterwards, and no matter how much she expected it to be there, she saw no trace of pity, of false praise, mockery, or faked impression. Zeetha couldn’t help but feel warm. For the first time in a while she felt at ease and capable. They honestly thought it was a good battle story. They were impressed and interested, enthralled by her deeds.

They liked the part where she had thrown her sword, to either hit Pinky or free Agatha as she had expected, but to her surprise they _really_ liked the bit where she saved Higgs. She had seen some eyes go wide as she explained him bleeding on the ground helpless as Pinky went to finish him off, and the cheers over her sudden stab had been extra wild. She suspected she had put a little more emotion than she had planned as she described reaching up to save him and felt a little hot at that, but…

But that wasn’t it. That didn’t explain Oggie’s eyes going wide, nor him blurting out, “Hyu saved—” before Maxim elbowed him hard enough he fell out of his chair. Zeetha noted that but didn’t comment, instead finishing off what little was left of her tale with her mind someplace else.

That was… suggestive. Higgs knew Mamma, Mamma owed him a favor of some kind, he had been in the bar, he hadn’t been hit by anything, he had been given draught, something that didn’t count as repaying the favor…

The way Mamma talked about him… they acted almost like old friends, something like equals, like Zed and Zedmara really, brother and sister.

The other Jäger… or at least Dimo, knew him as well, they _really_ liked the part where she saved him, Oggie had seemed surprised that he needed saving—

“Hey,” Dimo said shocking her from her thoughts. She blinked up at him. “Anythink else fon happen in de Kestle?”

Zeetha blinked again and looked around the group crowding her. They had hushed as much as a horde of Jäger could hush and almost seemed like pups crowding around hoping for some of her meal. She faltered; they were probably bored and starving for some new information of their Heterodyne.

“After we left here we went to the Hospital through the tunnels,” She started slowly. “Gil left us behind to talk to his father. He quickly returned, all grumpy and mad, talking about how his father was impossible.”

The Jäger guffawed. Zeetha smiled slightly. “He decided if he would be so impossible he would find Agatha herself. He demanded to leave the tunnels as soon as possible. So of course we were surrounded by tourists.” They laughed even harder. “Then Vole showed up—”

She continued on. The Jäger ended up being a very fun audience. They laughed at Gil’s drunken antics, booed every time Pinky’s name popped up, rolled their eyes at the Castle’s antics with the occasionally pitying look, leaned forward with poorly hidden excitement when they reunited with Agatha, and gasped as she mentioned her almost trip into the Dyne. Half way through she realized words were coming easier than she was used too, that it wasn’t a chore to talk. It was nice.

Just as she was again recounting the fight with Pinky in the greenhouse, a door behind the bar slammed open and out came Mamma and one of her Jagergurls, Higgs trailed behind a second later.

“Oskur! Adi! Cezar!” Hyu vere schupposed to sneak out already,” She barked. The three stuttered out excuses and took off out the door in what was the entire opposite of sneaking. Mamma sighed and rubbed a hand over her face before snapping her eyes back up at the horde. They froze as one.

“Schtory time is offer, gets ready to go,” She barked. The horde dispersed and Zeetha grimaced. She hadn’t meant to cause problems.

“Vat’s goink on?” Dimo asked as Mamma and Higgs approached.

“Klaus is missink.” Mamma answered and Zeetha’s blood ran cold. “De explosion vas louder dan it vas destructive, mostly it destroyed hiz ving, vich vas empty beside him und sum guards, sum pipple ver hurt but nobody vas killed, but Klaus is missink.”

“Nobody killed,” Zeetha mused, her eyes darting round as she thought.

“Hmm, yes.” Mamma agreed. “It is odd, ve think… it’s possible he cawzed de explosion, from vat ve heard he vasn’t happy vith his boy takink charge.”

Zeetha nodded slowly. It made sense, but…her head snapped up.

“Where is Luveka?”

Mamma blinked at her.

“The Lucrezia in the clank!” Zeetha explained. “The Castle was turned away… did she ever get on it… where is she?”

Klaus blowing up the Hospital to escape, could just be him on his own…Luveka couldn’t get to him there while guarded… right… but even then if he was out now and she was free…

Mamma’s face went tight. She turned to a couple of her girls and began issuing orders. They nodded and made for the door.

A couple of Jäger stomped up from downstairs and approached Mamma with a sloppy attempt at a salute. One had his arm in a poor excuses for a sling and another had a large gash across his forehead that was bleeding freely. She turned to them as they explained how several returning groups had run into different Sparks as they snuck back into the area. Several Jaegers were hurt and worse it seemed like the Sparks were planning on taking advantage of the chaos.

Mamma sighed and rubbed at her face again before sharing a glance with Higgs that Zeetha caught but ignored. She shooed the Jäger back downstairs, and with a few more orders to the Jäger upstairs followed them down.

In the second Zeetha took to watch her leave Higgs also disappeared. Zeetha huffed and turned back to her staff reluctantly, feeling absolutely useless.

 

“Hyu hear about Mizz Zeetha?” One Jäger with a very square hat asked another with an eyepatch. She nodded, leaning back again the wall waiting for her turn to sneak out.

“Ja, Hy heard.” She tipped her head in the direction of the girl in question sitting together with Dimo, Oggie, and Maxim, celebrities themselves, the wild ones who found them their Heterodyne. “Pipple are sayink dat de Sneaky Ge—er… Person iz sveet on her.” She added a scoff for good measure.

“Vat? Oh, dat’s not vat Hy vas talkink about—wait hyu don’t tinks its true?”

“Hmph, He’z neffer been sveet on anybodies before, Hy dought he just vasn’t into dat stuff,” Ioana waved.

“Vell, maybe hez only sumtimes iz,” Narcisa shrugged. “Like Olaf.”

“Maybe, still tinks its sum silly rumor dough, vun dat vun of de silly boyz kame op vith.”

“Hy heard Mamma started it dough.”

“Ja, but did Mamma _really_ start it or iz pipples just sayink she did?”

“Yeah, vell, vhatever, Hy vas talkink about how she stabbed de fake vith vun of Dimo’s daggers, und how she saved de Lady _und_ Mister Heggs.”

“ _Vat_ , no vay.”

“Yes. _vay_ ,” Petre approached. “Hy vas here to hear de story, it vas great!”

Narcisa nodded vigorously. “Sum pipples are effen sayink she schould gets a _hat_.”

A forth Jäger leaning nearby scoffed. “She did goot, but she still lost, hyu gets a hat only if hyu _vin.”_ Grigore shook his head. “Anyvey, de Fake dosen’t effen _haff_ a hat.”

The four went quiet, a grumpy kind of quiet. She was the worst kind of enemy. The kind that was no fun to fight, disrespected all you stood for and didn’t even have the decency to wear a hat to earn.

Narcisa shook her sour mood off. “Anyvay, efferyvne is talkink about her, how haffen’t hyu heard?”

“Dunno, but no vay kan sum normal pipples save vun ov our—”

“Talking ‘bout something?”

Ioana jumped. “Ah, no.” She stuttered, almost ending with a sir but holding her tongue. She had never been good with knowing how to interact with their Sneaky General. Good thing she rarely needed to.

The general took a pull on his pipe. “Shame, it’s a good story,” He said with a shrug before walking off towards the girl who turned to glance at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Vow,” Narcisa said in aww, “he really _dose_ like her, doesn’t he?” The other three nodded, wide eyed.

 

“Hey,” Higgs greeted as he walked up.

“Hey,” Zeetha responded with a cocked eyebrow.

“You doing okay?” He asked.

Zeetha rolled her eyes. Oggie began snickering.

“I’m fine, doesn’t even hurt anymore.”

“Ah… that’s good.”

“Kind of itchy.”

“Yeah… healing does that.”

He pulled on his pipe. Zeetha stared at him waiting, her eyebrows raising more and more as time passed by. Maxim and Dimo joined Oggie in their mirth.

“What’s up?” Zeetha finally asked.

Higgs jumped and then looked sheepish. “Ah, right. I’m heading out, goin’ to see if this uniform might help us figure out what’s going on.”

Zeetha cocked her head. “Us?”

Higgs jolted slightly, the boys giggles grew louder. “Ah, well, right now I’m under Master’s Gil’s authority, and… I’m not sure if that’s the same as being under the Empire’s at the moment…” he trailed off looking a little flustered. Zeetha took pity on him and let it slide, nodding.

“Thanks… for telling me?”

“Well… figured you’d like to stay in the loop.”

“I do.”

The three were still snickering. He made a face. Zeetha shook her head in amusement. He frowned and turned away.

“See you later?” He asked. Zeetha could almost imagine his voice was a little hopeful, but she found she couldn’t bring herself to be sure of that.

“Yeah,” She shrugged looking around. “I’ll be here,” She sighed, reluctant. She found it unlikely that Mamma was going to be letting her go anytime soon, no matter how good she felt. His shoulder’s fell as if relived and he left. The boyz were still laughing.

Zeetha glanced at them with a small grin. “That’s not very nice.”

Dimo grinned back. “Pretty fonny dough.”

 

An old tower sat near forgotten in the mountains that surrounded Mechanicsburg. It was old and run down, even compared to the other towers that dotted the valley. Built in a poor position during a particularly drunk month, it had been abandoned long before the Boys had ever taken over.

Klaus sat on an abandoned crate inside while using another as a desk. He was shirtless, and still in the flimsy pants he had on in the Hospital, but the cold of night was the least of his worries. Papers were piled in front of him. The buzzing, burrowing voice in the back of his ear had told him to: _escape, with whatever he needed to run his Empire_. He had brought paperwork, not entirely of his own will. Luveka was amused, he wasn’t.

He wanted nothing more than to rip that tiny voice out, but he couldn’t. The first order, vibrated right into his mind _: Calm Down. Don’t touch your ear. Don’t let anyone touch your ear._ It didn’t matter anymore anyway, not with the real deal standing only several feet away.

He scowled and glanced from the corner of his eye over to the metal woman who stood in the door, watching in amusement at the movement and lights of the city far below. He doubted they would be here much longer. A dirty, empty tower was not something Lucrezia would tolerate for long. They were waiting for someone or something but as soon as that happened they would be gone.

His options were limited. _Don’t leave the tower unless I tell you too_. _Don’t shout, or try any other means to bring attention to yourself. No Sparking._

His face twisted and he turned back to his papers, reading with little difficulty in the dark despite the clouds rolling in and blocking the light of the moon. He was only half paying attention to what he read. He needed to figure out something. There had to be _something_ he could do.

He shifted a budget form to under the pile and gave a brief glance at what was next, on to snap back to it as he realized what it was.

Slave papers. Ownership papers. Brief History of Health and Background.

Origin: unknown.

Description: …Green hair… light brown eyes … 182cm tall … young, estimated early twenties.

Near nothing for background, but on another page, in familiar handwriting: …bought and sold many times… health poor early on… Speaks language unknown, if a language at all… possible brain damage… seems to understand Romanian.

His eyes trailed down the page, anger choking his heart the further he went.

Violent, unruly, as health improved, first starving and then drugging had to be employed to keep her manageable… yet even then dangerous and poorly controlled. Killed every potential client, even while drugged. Difficult to contain.

Solution: Shock collar.

Relief hit him like a valve released under pressure, rushing over him as a chill down his spine.

For a moment he forgot where he was. Anger and relief, and _how dare they_ flooded his veins and he scowled as he memorized everything he could on the papers, any shred of information that could lead him to any one of these so called “owners.” They would pay. How dare they, they would _pay._

Pain bursting in his skull and a pounding in his ears snapped him out of it. In his anger he had begun to Spark, and the order had canceled it out, and unnatural calm attempting to bandage the fury just under his skin. He grit his teeth, pinched his nose, and took a deep breath.

He remembered where he was. As much as he hated it this was not the time. Later. _Later_.

“What has go _you_ so upset?” Luveka mused peeking over at him. He grimaced, caught. “Paperwork can’t be that bad can it?” Luveka sniped as she walked over.

“Paperwork is always that bad,” Klaus loopholed, because it was the truth as he attempted to slide the papers under the pile naturally.

“Hmm, in that case you can do all of it when I take over,” Luveka mused. Klaus glared at her and she smirked. “What? I’m leaving you in charge, you should be happy, I’m just going to be… your trusty advisor.”

Klaus grunted and attempted to ignore her. He glanced down at the next paper and stubbornly read the first few lines.

He froze.

“What is that,” Luveka asked sharply and he panicked internally, his pulse pounding in his ears.

He had no idea how they had gotten here, where they had come from, but the papers staring up at him were undoubtedly Spark notes.

Spark Notes for a Spark Wasp.

He tried to pull them away and hide them behind the others, as if he had finished reading a boring bit of legislature and was on to the next one.

“Give them to me.” He didn’t, but his body did so anyway, his arm plucked up the notes and passed them to her without any permission from his mind.

She took them and stepped away a bit, reading through the papers at an inhumanly fast speed. Klaus stared down at the next paper, a report on the causalities of the Stumhulten attack. Shame and disgust filled him.

“Interesting,” She mused. He just stared blankly, his hands curled to fists but he otherwise stayed frozen.

_You will not attack me. You will not initiate touch unless I say too. You will keep me alive and functional._

“That boy was holding out on me,” she mused, changing pages to look at a diagram. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, he was so hung up on the girl, even after I took her body. Foolish boy.”

She folded the papers and tapped them against her cheeks. “Still, not as elegant as I would have done it,” She decided. “But functional… easily mass produced…”

Dread chilled Klaus more at those words than the night’s wind and his mind rushed to find a solution, a loophole.

He found nothing.

“Mi’lady?”

Luveka turned. Klaus glanced over to see a guard in an enlisted Wulfenbach uniform. Unnaturally still, brows creased, heavy bags under his eyes, face neutral. “I… bring news.”

“Oh? Of what?”

“They are saying… Master Wulfenbach has left the castle.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who was dumb and forgot all about her promise of a second chapter, and now it's two weeks late. me! Sorry guys I was sorta working the last week and a half and forgot all about it. Well Eventually is better than never I guess.


	21. In Which Gil Rides in on a Magnificent Steed

A commotion at the main door had Zeetha looking up from her now likely _overly_ elaborately carved staff. She had been bored and things had snowballed from there. Still it was beginning to get dull. The Jäger who were assigned to sneak out were all gone, leaving the upper floor rather empty, though she could hear the hum of some Jäger just a floor below. Only the Boyz remained, as well as some of Mamma’s girls. So a distraction was welcome.

“IT’S NOT JUST A BEER HALL!”

She knew that voice. Eyebrows shooting to her hairline Zeetha pushed herself up, using her staff to help only to find it rather unnecessary. All she felt now was stiff, and the pull of stitches. She needed someone to take a look at those. She had stitches before, and these felt more than ready to get pulled out.

Dimo gave her a mischievous grin as he followed her. Zeetha rolled her eyes. Mamma hadn’t actually _said_ she was to sit down until she said so, just _implied_ it, and she was honestly feeling fine. This may have been her worst injury she’d ever had, but she’d had some that made it pretty close. She liked to think she had a good gauge on her own health.

Almost as if to prove it Zeetha took a deep breath and felt nothing more than a slight pull. Assured she marched forward, staff thrown over one shoulder.

Yup, it was Gil, she mused as she got closer. Gil being choked by Sleipnir. He likely deserved it. Still, Agatha would be displeased if anything happened to him, deserved or not.

Zeetha wavered bemused for another moment as Ana ran off to summon Mamma. Then she swung her staff off her shoulder, “accidently” hitting Gil in the back of the head with its end, and grinned. “Sleipnir.”

Sleipnir blinked and then grinned back, dropping Gil who groaned. “Zeetha! I heard you got hurt; are you okay?”

Zeetha grin fell and she grimaced, more pain from her pride than her body at this point. “Better,” she sighed tapping her chest with one hand and leaning against her staff. Gil glared at her as he rose to his feet.

“What was that for,” he grumbled. Zeetha shrugged and waved over to Sleipnir who was pulling Theo off a… wait wasn’t that the clank that they had been building for the Castle? It looked like it… minus some girth and a bunch of extra teeth…

“I did _not_ deserve it.”

Zeetha glanced back over and grinned. “Sure you didn’t.”

“But _this_ place really _isn’t_ just a beer hall,” he said throwing out his arms. Sleipnir glared at him, helping keep Theo steady. Zeetha frowned as she glanced as the bloodied bandages on his chest. Leave them alone for a _day_ …

“And a brothel is better _how?_ ” She hissed. Zeetha glanced over at her with a raised eyebrow. She wasn’t sure what brothel meant, so she glanced over at Gil.

“It’s not …or well maybe it _is,_ I’m… not actually _sure,_ but it’s also a place to get healed,” Gil groaned rubbing a hand down his face. He pointed at Zeetha. “ _She_ got healed here, _I_ got healed here, and I’m _assuming_ Mr. Higgs got healed here…” He paused and looked around. “Which, by the way, where is he?”

Zeetha shrugged. “Not here. Went to see if he could find out more about what’s going on. Hasn’t come back yet.”

“Do _you_ know what’s going on, all the Castle could tell me was that there was a big hole in the Hospital,” he asked as he turned fully to her, panic dammed back in his voice but present enough in how his hands twitched.

“Some,” Zeetha responded, humor gone. “There was an explosion but it only really took out his wing, nobody was killed and only a few hurt… but your father is missing—” Gil’s eyes went wide, Zeetha continued on before he could freak out—“We were thinking, since nobody was killed that maybe… _he_ did it, to escape.”

Gil’s face fell, though he relaxed a little as he rolled his eyes. “Of course he would,” he grumbled with a pout. “Can’t trust me at all…”

“But, from what we’ve heard he hasn’t returned to his ship either… he could be laying low but,” Zeetha grimaced. “But… we also are not sure if Luveka ever got sent aboard either, she could have but… we don’t know. Mamma sent some people to check but they haven’t come back yet.” Zeetha worried her lip a little; it had been a few good hours since then.

Gil’s face was pale from the news but he nodded sternly. “Right. I’m heading there now, I’ll find out. I just needed to drop Theo off somewhere he could get help. He turned as if to leave but Mamma’s arrival stopped him.

She wasn’t in a dress anymore, but instead wore a fancy and impressive red uniform and even a little armor. She carried a tall hat under her arm and her face was serious. Behind her, peeking out of the door downstairs Zeetha could spot more than a few glowing eyes, all quite squarely at least a step down.

She smiled slightly as she spotted them and waved him over. Gil wavered for a second, wanting to rush to his father Zeetha imagined, but sighed and turned around. Zeetha followed leaving Theo and Sleipnir to enter on their own.

“I heard about what happened,” Gil started without greeting. Mamma nodded and poured some coffee into a cup. “So I’m here, but Agatha is almost done, it should be any time now really.”

“Dot’s goot “cause Hy gots a hall full ov eediots dat are chust about ready to burst.” Mamma grinned. Zeetha bounced on the balls of her feet as she listened, her eyes drifting over to where she had left her swords. So the lull in the battle was just about over then. “Coffee?”

“Thanks, so can I leaves these two here until the fighting is over?’

“Ov cauze! Ve get heem fixed op toot sveety.” She smirked. “Dat’s French!”

Gil rolled his eyes slightly as he took a sip of his drink. “…Right, I’ll be off then. Thanks for the… coffee?”

“Oh, dere iz no bugs dis time, promise… ah, vun more ting.” She gripped Gil’s shoulder, her glee gone and replaced with a quite sort of seriousness that had Zeetha standing to attention as she watched.

“Hyu Poppa, he protected my boyz. Hy vill not forget dat.”

Gil looked more than stunned. “Ah… and the Jäger served us loyally. Memory is a two way street, Madam.” He paused, and then added. “And we will be defending the town together soon enough, assuming I can take control of my father’s forces quickly. So I really must go—”

“BOOOOOM!”

Zeetha stumbled, catching herself with her staff, her eyes going wide as her teeth rattled. Dong after dong thundered from the heavens. She felt it more than heard it. Felt it in her bones and through her blood. There it grabbed the energy that Agatha had sparked, and the ancient energy that had been since eons past and stroked it. Stroked it from an ember into a blaze.

It hurt, part of her screamed, not just the sound pounding into her head but the feelings crashing into her, dragging her down by hidden wounds recently reopened, trying to drown her. But the energy— swirled and flared ancient power and with it her ancestor’s warmth and confidence and support flooded her at the same time. She grinned widely, if painfully, as the last dong sounded and died.

“Yez!” Mamma howled into the echoes of the last rung. Cheers broke out from the stairwell behind her. “Ve has a Heterodyne again!” She paused, seeming to catch herself as she spotted the many bodies littering her floors.

She sighed deflating and peeked over them. “Tsk, Keeds today. Ken’t effen take a leedle existential despair.” She groaned. “Ho vell, Hy S’poze Hy should—”

“Agatha!” Gil whooped, standing up straight. Voice, face, _everything_ mad, and powerful, and Sparked. “She _did_ It!

Zeetha felt a laugh burst from her, loud and clean, and unstopping. She bounced off of her staff and threw an arm around her brother’s shoulder, throwing her staff up in a salute. “She did!” She whooped in response and they grinned at each other.

Mamma stared at them like they were crazy, which Zeetha supposed they were. Gil looked like she felt, and he _looked_ madboy crazy. If Zeetha hadn’t have known better, if she had never felt this way before (or close to this way. This, this was new, _different_ ) she would have thought she had joined the ranks of the Mad: The thrumming energy in her veins and bones, the glee, the excitement, the _invincibility_ , few other things could match it she was sure.

But she had always been odd.

“Say… iz huyz hokay,” Mamma asked slowly glancing between the two of them. “De doom bell—”

“It means she’s taken the Castle!” Gil interrupted, all but vibrating under Zeetha’s arm. She grinned even wider in amusement. No she was no Gifted, no Spark, Gil was far more swallowed by the energy than her, no matter the thrum in her ears and the tingle in her limbs. It was like dealing with a klasu pup. “It means she’s alive! Fighting!” He grinned wildly, a _lovesick_ klasu pup. “It’s _beautiful_!”

Mamma stared at him. He didn’t even seem to notice, but Zeetha did. She shook her head and glanced over at the bodies on the floor. Gil had no idea did he?

Mamma turned to her. “Und hyu?”

Zeetha blinked once, but then grinned until her fangs were in full view. “It’s powerful,” she said, pride and amazement and love for Agatha, known only a week at most, thundering under her ribs. Beautiful? No, something far more than that. “It’s strength. _Agatha’s_ strength.”

Mamma blinked once more and then grinned a grin to match. She turned. “Hokay! Hyu stay right dere. Hy’s gun go gets my boyz. De Lady Heterodyne’s consort needs an escort!”

Gil grinned even wider. Zeetha pushed off him, he didn’t even seem to notice, and caught up to Mamma. “I’m coming too.”

Mamma paused briefly from yelling orders down the stairwell to glance at her with a dry look. Then she turned back and finished. Several Jäger slipped past her to pick up the ones on the floor to get them down below and to safety, more rushed down shouting to ones further below. She turned to her. “Hyu tink hyu iz healed?” She all but snarled.

Zeetha didn’t even blink. “Yez. I _know_ I am.” She pulled up her shirt and underclothes in one go. “Look.”

Mamma pinched her features oddly and pushed her towards a corner. Covering her a little, a calmer part of her mind whispered. The same part appreciated it, even if this, _this_ didn’t bother her right now. “Ve vill see ‘bout dat,” Mamma muttered as she pulled off her bandage. Zeetha waited impatiently and smirked in satisfaction as Mamma’s eyes went a little wide.

“Twice now,” she muttered.

Zeetha didn’t care. “ _See_.”

“Yes, Hy see,” She admitted looking up with a smirk of her own, test passed. Zeetha grinned wider. Her cheeks hurt. “Dese are ready to comes out.” She pulled up a claw and with one swipe cut each stitch. Zeetha couldn’t even find it in her to grimace as Mamma began pulling out the stitches and then tisked, looking annoyed. Perhaps at herself. “More den ready. It vill scar.”

“Scars are marks of winning.” Zeetha replied. “Of life.”

“True,” Mamma replied, digging around in a drawer of the bar and pulling out a bottle and some odd bandage. With a cloth she wiped the puckered scar. Zeetha knew it stung, she could feel it, and yet it hurt not at all. Her fingers twitched ready to move, but she was smug enough to stand still a little longer. Mamma peeled part of the bandage off and slapped it over top the scar. “Hyu keep it clean.” She warned and Zeetha grinned in victory.

“Und hyu vear hyu armor.” She motioned with her head to the side and Zeetha followed it, finding Maxim and Oggie there, holding her armor with shit eating grins. The slit was still there but it had been cleaned.  Her smile softened slightly and she nodded.

Mamma disappeared down the stairs to make a final check and Zeetha rushed over to her swords, throwing on her undershirt and pulling off her pants in a rush to get her armor on. Gil had come to enough to choke at the sight and turn away. Zeetha rolled her eyes as she fastened the clasps. The pants went down to her shins and the top covered her stomach. What was his problem?

That calm part deep down appreciated his discretion even as it rolled her eyes at the silliness of Europa customs.

She tightened her belt back on: bag, Dimo’s dagger, and her swords in place, and threw her staff over her shoulder just in time for Mamma to return, at least four dozen Jäger behind her, and many more just a small bit off.

“Let’s go!” Gil ordered, turned, and opened the door.

 

It was chaos outside. Entire streets ripped up and smashed down near fleeing soldiers. Plants shot seeds like discus, statues came to life and attacked, Jäger and other monsters running everywhere. Zeetha watched this all from her spot onto Otilia’s back.

She noted that few people seemed to be dying, just contained and distracted if only for now. Agatha’s influence she was sure. Giving Gil a chance to make it out and order people to stop. To avoid unneeded bloodshed. The Castle was surely disappointed.

Zeetha turned back forward as they hopped a wall, leaving the Jäger behind, and the hospital came into view. Otilia battered panicked soldiers away as they flew closer to it and the makeshift ground HQ. She slid to a stop meters from the flap of the biggest tent and Gil hopped out.

“Hey!” Zeetha shouted hopping down next to him, grin wide. She plopped the hat on his head. “You need this.”

“Why did I even let you come,” he hissed, still Sparky but no longer as gleeful. Zeetha grinned back at him.

“To carry the hat,” she suggested and he glowered but then ignored her striding forward.

Zeetha followed, to close to be at his heel, never again, _never_.

A startled soldier blinked from his spot leaning over a map, fresh stitches stitching up a gash over his eye. He leapt for his gun. Gil barely seemed to notice.

“Lt. Colonel! I need escort to Castle Wulfenbach immediately!” He barked.

“Who are you?” The Lt. Colonel barked back, gun to his chest. Gil sighed and rolled his shoulders.

“Gilgamesh Wulfenbach, Now I need to know—”

“Ah, _no_ I don’t _think_ so!”

Zeetha smirked, grabbed the lighter she had stolen off Higgs without his noticing, turned the dial, and foosh!

Gil’s face when it worked again and again made her laugh as they slowly moved closer to Castle Wulfenbach. Though admitidly by the third time it was becoming a bit much…

 

“This is taking too long,” Gil hissed over a knocked out airman in line for a promotion. Zeetha nodded. At least they were finally on Castle Wulfenbach, even if only barely, the airship they had taken over only just landed in a hanger.

“You really _are_ him,” a man yelped, eyeing the hat, and maybe also the punch. Both of them sighed, but Gil quickly assured with a growl that yes, _yes_ he was, and get Boris, _now_!

He ran off.

He slumped. Zeetha patted his back with sympathy. “At least we made it?” She offered and he sighed. Commotion down the hall kept her from another half-hearted try.

“It’s really him!”

“Are you sure?”

Gil snapped back to attention and to rage. “Yes. It’s _really_ me!” He snarled at the two approaching figures. Zeetha peeked around him to see the man from before and another with four arms. “ _Yes_ , I’m really back! No, I’m not a spy. I’m not an imposter! And I am _not_ amused.” He took a deep breath. “Boris!”

“Y-yes Master Gilgamesh?”

“Yes that’s _me_!” Gil snapped. Again. “Of course it’s me! Who else would—”

Zeetha laid a hand on his shoulder, because as funny as this was they really didn’t have the time. “Chill.”

Gil froze and then took a deep breath. As he released it some of the tension drained from his shoulders. He pinched his nose. “And there are no more questions that I am Gilgamesh Wulfenbach?”

Boris narrowed his eyes at her and pursed his lips. “No.” he said shortly after a long moment.

“Good,” he growled all but ripping the hat, flame and all, off his head. “You!” he pointed at the airman that had fetched Boris who flinched back. “Take this, hide it somewhere.”

“Uh, yes, sir!” The airman stuttered, relief dripping from him as he rushed to leave.

Boris was still staring at her, face pinched. “And this is?”

Gil blinked and glanced back at Zeetha. “Oh this is Zeetha, the girl Father was looking for—”

“I heard there was a hat!” A girl yelped in glee as she turned a corner.

“You’re delusional,” Gil snapped back automatically. “And _I_ want an explanation! You were _supposed_ to be with my father, what happened?”

“I don’t know! I wasn’t there!”

“You _left!_ ”

“He told me too!”

“And you _listened?”_

“It’s my job to do what he says!”

“Oh, and you _always_ follow orders!”

“Hey!” She snapped, the same anger in her voice but also… hurt. Zeetha tilted her head in thought at that, her neck already starting to hurt as she followed the conversation. “I follow _his_ orders. Even when I think they’re stupid!”

“He’s _wasped_!” He snarled, several of the growing audience gasped.

“So? The Vespiary squad was already there checking everyone, and nobody new was being allowed near him.”

Gil huffed and turned away, the girl’s face crumpled.

“He told me to go do this stupid thing and I did, and then the explosion happened and I ran all the way back,” her voice caught and her eyes began to shimmer. “And I looked and looked but I couldn’t find him!” She continued, a tear broke free and Gil turned in time to see it, his jaw dropping in disbelief. “I couldn’t find him anywhere!” she wailed and collapsed into Gil’s arms. “I tried! I _really_ did!”

It was quite for a long moment, everyone held their breath.

Gils sighed slightly and patted her head. “I know. And if you couldn’t have found him nobody could have.”

The girl muttered into his vest. Zeetha could only make out something like “made cry,” and “kill you.” Mostly as she watched this scene she felt uncomfortable, like she was seeing something she shouldn’t… and maybe a little jealous too, which she smashed down because how dumb was _that_.

“Everyone is waiting,” Boris said from the side and Zeetha glanced over to find him along with the entire audience they had gathered bowing. “Herr Baron.”

Gil blinked at them once and then frowned, pushing Dupree away, albeit gently. “Okay, _no_.”

“Herr—”

“No!” Gil snapped. “Boris, certainly you have more faith in my father than that. He’s missing not _dead_. There’s even a good chance he escaped on his own!”

“His own?”

“Loud but limited damage, few casualties, no deaths…” Gil rattled off. “The fact he is still missing is worrisome but I can’t think of anyone else who would have been that careful. It would have been more useful to _not_ be.”

Boris paused for a long moment, and then sighed. “Be that it may, I am just following your father’s direct orders.”

“Direct orders?”

“Your father gave me very clear instruction on what to do if there was ever cause to believe him dead—”

“But he being dead is probably the _least_ likely option right now—”

“But it’s the one people will _think_ , and either way he is _compromised_ and _not_ here. The Empire needs a leader.”

Gil simmered for a long moment and then slumped. “Fine, but I will not take his title.”

“That should be no trouble. In that case your father left orders to use one of yours… your highness.”

Zeetha froze halfway back to glancing at Gil.

Gil rubbed at the bridge of his nose. “Oh, for… I can’t imagine what _that’s_ about… another thing Father couldn’t be bothered to tell me I’m sure.”

Zeetha felt a chill go up her spine. Your highness meant a prince, right? Tarvek had told her that at one point… And while a large part of her couldn’t help but think this was probably more Storm King nonsense… the common translation of Nama was Princess… or Prince. Or at least that was how Chump had translated it all those years ago, the basis of the Romanian she had learned as a child.

Though the actual weight of the titles really weren’t the same, and being Skifandrian Prince _really_ didn’t carry much of any weight at all… let alone be applicable in this situation. Only Na ruled not Nama. To use it here in a ruling sense was honestly _wrong_ , this place had _nothing_ to do with Skifander and Nama only had power when backed by Skifander and the Queens, but…

People were moving, Zeetha jolted to attention and sped up. Gil didn’t know what it was about, Boris was unlikely to tell her on the slim chance he would with the looks he kept sending her, so for now she would have to ignore it.

“Hey! I remember you.” Dupree suddenly pointed, stepping into step with her. Zeetha raised a brow. “You were at the fight at Stumhulten. You fought Klaus!”

Zeetha nodded slowly, a little wary.

“And you’re the one who he’s looking for, I guess,” she added with a frown, peering closer at her. “You match the description.”

Zeetha shrugged again, eyeing the girl from the corner of her eye. The glint of her eyes as she examined Zeetha felt almost feral. Zeetha tilted her head slightly, unwilling to back down.

“How come he’s looking for you?”

“Don’t know.”

“So you _can_ talk.”

“Dupree leave her alone,” Gil ordered before turning back to his conversation with Boris ahead of them. Dupree shot back a gesture Zeetha could only imagine was likely rude. She committed it to memory to test on Tarvek later. Dupree turned back to Zeetha, considering, and then grinned.

“You didn’t do half bad,” she continued. “Fighting Klaus, that is, I didn’t see much… can’t remember much either… stupid merry-go-round.” She trailed off in a grumble.

“Yeah, that was…” Zeetha couldn’t think of a Romanian word to truly describe it, nor a Skiff one really, she did have one in Homak, one of the Dark languages, but that would take a good four sentences to describe in Romanian so she let it trail off instead.

“Wait, you saw it _too!_ ”

“Uh, yes?”

“Hah! I _knew_ I wasn’t crazy!”

Zeetha wasn’t sure of that, something about the way she held herself screamed danger, but she held her tongue.

“Still it’s always nice to see another _real_ fighting girl. This place might be better than most but there are _so_ many stuffy old guys trying to get in the way of my fun.” She pulled out a knife and began twirling it. Zeetha noted it was well maintained but its leather hilt was badly stained. “Not as bad as it was before of course, kill a couple of them and the rest get _real_ quiet. Still most of the girls of any real skill are part of my crew, and not many of _them_ could fight Klaus.”

Zeetha nodded absent mindedly.

“I could have done better of course.” Dupree added after a moment. Zeetha gave her a searching glance and shrugged, uncommitted. She hadn’t exactly been trying to _kill_ him back then, and if you’re not trying to kill someone you’re not going all out, nor was it really a dishonor to _lose_ to Djorok’ku Chump…

Zeetha frowned as she caught her thoughts…. This was the first time she had, well… directly thought of him as Chump. Sighing she shook her head and tried to clear her thoughts. She still wasn’t sure, and now wasn’t the time.

“WHAT DO YOUMEAN SHE NEVER MADE IT ON BOARD?”

The girls jolted.

Boris pushed his glasses up his nose, looking nervous. “The Torchmen kept us out of the skies until recently, and outside Mechanicsburg has become increasingly hostile with the nearby Sparks that have started congregating, we weren’t able to get her on board without risk of losing her…I increased her guard back at…”

“And is _she still there_!”

“The last check in was an hour ago and she was.”

Gil pursed his lips, turning to an officer of some kind he barked. “I need a squad of Purple Shrouds to check up on Princess Anevka in Mechanicsburg _stealthily_. They all need to be cleared by the Vespiary squad before they go. Now!”

They ran off and Gil once again rubbed at his face. Zeetha caught his eye for a second and they both grimaced. Neither of them had much faith she was still at the hotel. “Tarvek, my father, and now her, can _nobody_ stay where they need to be.”

Boris suddenly looked extra nervous… and perhaps a bit sheepish. “Actually sir…”

 

Zeetha watched as Tarvek and Gil argued on top of the giant tactical map. She had only been able to vaguely follow how he had gotten on board in the first place. Something about some Spark named Othar that had been caught trying to enter the city and sent by Boris to either kill Agatha or retrieve Gil to earn his freedom. Somehow Tarvek had been snatched instead. Though admittedly the real surprising thing was not that Tarvak had managed to get himself into a tactical leadership role for what _should_ be his second greatest enemy, but that somehow he hadn’t actually been at _fault_ this time.

Zeetha followed them around as they plotted using the map and props. She didn’t understand a lot of the jargon, but with the visual aid she was beginning to build a proper dictionary. A siege was an _uzmaz_ , while pickets was _tokan jayer_. A pincer maneuver was something similar to an _Usmin_ while the flanking maneuver was pretty much an _Userni_ , Interdiction was _Usku_ and Guerrilla tactics was _Nauska_. They were slowly starting to make sense, and tactical maps could only differ so much—

Wait.

Zeetha glanced back at a group of props that Tarvek and Gil hadn’t even bothered to glance at as they moved on to bigger matters. Something was… Zeetha narrowed her eyes… something was wrong about it. She didn’t fully understand what she was looking at, she didn’t know the capabilities of whatever enemy craft was there, other than it was flying, nor the capabilities of the ground Empire units that she could tell had been placed to stop it. Still…

One of the assistants, who were quietly moving units as they got news, updated the props she was looking at, Zeetha’s eyes narrowed even more.

Zeetha clicked her tongue three times, still in thought. It wasn’t a signal she used often, she generally preferred to just grab Tarvek if she needed him, but he was already on the other side of the map with Gil and this was bothering her too much to look away.

Tarvek glanced up at once and disentangled himself from Gil, who just blinked at the sudden halt in their passive aggressive posturing. Tarvek walked over and Gil followed too confused to be upset. “What?”

“This is wrong?’ Zeetha explained as she crouched down to get a better look and gesturing with her staff to the group of props. “It will fail.”

“What are you talking about those forces are more than enough to deal with it.”

Zeetha pursed her lips and then shook her head. “It fly’s right?”

“Yes, it’s an airship, albeit a heavily modified to fly low—”

“And the soldiers—” Zeetha hesitated as she tried to think how to phrase what she wanted. “Can… hit that?”

“They are anti-aero forces, yes?”

“Fast?”

“What?”

“Are they fast, the anti-aero forces?”

“I…” Tarvek turned to Gil who frowned.

“The fire long shot cannons of the 27th anti-aero are pretty heavy, we’ve upgraded them since Dr. Flameo invented them but they are still more of an ambush and wait type of force.”

Zeetha nodded. “Wind?”

“What?” Gil asked.

“Wind—” Zeetha waved her hand around in as many cardinal direction as she could. Gil blinked but Tarvek was used to her.

“Wind direction?” He offered.

“Deep thinker?” Gil asked for them. One of the men in the odd hats above them frowned and looked at some readings. Then using a laser pointer he pointed out the direction the wind was moving. “North at 18.899 knots.”

Zeetha scowled.

“Relatively fast,” Tarvek translated. “But nothing too bad, it’s running perpendicular to the airship and we’ve already calculated that into the plan.”

Zeetha glanced back at the props and then suddenly it drew on her what was wrong. She shook her head more. “Yes, but no—” She paused and realized she had nowhere near the vocabulary to explain what she was seeing. Sighing she leaned forward and plucked up the ship. “This is what you think will happen, right?”

She mimed the ship flying over the mountains and ultimately into the formation ahead, miming the ship falling victim to the ambush pincer maneuver.

“Yeah,” Gil answered. “You don’t?”

Zeetha shook her head.

“It moved this way,” she said, miming the change in position she had watched the assistant do. “And it lowered.” She added. “It’s not going over, it’s going around this cliff.”

“…Yes, your right, but that should still lead them into the pincer maneuver.”

Zeetha shook her head again and pointed to the cliff, it was actually made up of two mountains, leaving a canyon of sorts between. Zeetha hesitated again, once more at a lost of words before she just sighed. “The wind going this way,” she drew her finger down the canyon. She may know little about airships but she had spent her childhood gliding in the jagged peaks of her home, she knew wind currents. “So when it gets to this point it’s going to do this. Or at least it’s going to _want_ too.”

She suddenly pushed the ship away in a diagonal, just missing the ambush.

“A wind tunnel!” Gil suddenly yelped in understanding. “The heightened winds will let it dodge the trap which won’t be able to move fast enough to respond, and the fact it’s risking getting so close to the mountains means it must know the ambush is there!”

Zeetha nodded, putting the word away for use later. She scanned the map before her and then pointed with her staff at some nearby enemy ground forces that would be near its relative position. They were only being contested by some ground forces themselves and there wasn’t much else in the area. “Probably go there for support?” She offered less sure. She really didn’t know enough about any of the unit’s capabilities to judge.

Nobody responded. Zeetha glanced up.

Both of them were staring at her. Zeetha huffed and pointed at herself. “War Princess,” she reminded, though somewhat belatedly realized she had never told Gil as much and she couldn’t remember if Tarvek had ever heard the war part. Still the surprise kind of stung. That seemed to snap them out of it and Gil was suddenly yelling orders to fix the weakness.

“How did you miss that?” Gil snarked at Tarvek once done. Tarvek scowled.

“I don’t _do_ heights okay. And you missed it too.”

“Only because for a moment I trusted your ability to handle a single custom airship,” Gil sighed mockingly. “I see I was _very_ mistaken.”

Zeetha scowled and glanced away as the boys stroked their egos, only to raise an eyebrow as she watched someone open a side door, whisper some words to another person, who then whispered again to another. That person quietly left the room.

That was…odd.

Zeetha glanced back to see that Gil and Tarvek were too caught up in each other to pay any attention to her, as was most of the room. Hmph, if her tactical reasoning wasn’t wanted then they wouldn’t mind if she did a bit of recon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After way to long the story is officially finished and there is four more chapters left after this, which I will be posting every Monday and Friday until it's all up! I'm happy to have it finished and a little nervous after so many years working on it that the ending won't meet expectations-- But I also figure I'd feel that way to even the most perfect story so, and it's time to stop obsessing and move on. Here you go!
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys!


	22. In Which Zeetha does the Sneaky

It was far easier to get between the walls than she had expected. The secret doors might as well been real doors, and the few that had been more challenging were still easier than some back in Stumhulten. It was like Klaus hadn’t been super concerned about people getting where they shouldn’t be. Zeetha couldn’t complain too much, it allowed her to search the castle mush faster, though the “walk like you belong” trick had worked out pretty well regardless. Nobody had bothered to question who she was.

A product of an empire so big you can’t know everyone in it she guessed but Zeetha still felt it was too easy.

Something was up. She had watched several people get called out, few had returned, the ones that had were off, quiet, more observant, paying more attention to Gil than Tarvek.

Nobody was really watching her.

She had a sinking suspicion that whoever was moving them around didn’t know she was here. Gil’s arrival, or maybe just his magnificent hat, having smoke-screened the fact he hadn’t come alone.

Or maybe they just underestimated her. Saw her as an invisible minion.

That was a mistake. She was far from against using that to her advantage.

Zeetha paused in her steps. She could hear mumbling, voices at a distance. Quieter still, since if she could hear them then they could hear her, she followed the noise. Thrumming of engines and humming of wires (that she was steadfast ignoring) filled the cramped passage she walked through. Maintenance shafts, secret passages or both she wasn’t entirely sure but she had quickly noticed she couldn’t hear noise from outside. They had been built soundproof.

That meant someone was in here with her or there was an opening nearby.

It was the later. A vent. Even looking at it Zeetha could tell that if closed it would be soundproof, and hard to notice. It wasn’t closed.

She didn’t really know Klaus, but it still seemed odd, the lack of security.

Then again, maybe that was the point.

It was higher than her head but there was enough piping sneaking along the wall for her to carefully climb up to peek through. It was a lab. Machines of all types filled its wall, most of which were half torn apart. Several benches and desks were barely visible under blueprints and papers. A cot had been shoved into one corner; clothes long discarded peeking out from under it. On one side was a bulbous tube, large enough for a human to fit inside. On the other was another machine, one a large figure was crouched over.

She bit her lip when she caught who was talking.

It was the Baron. Klaus and Luveka. How had they gotten on board? How had _she_ gotten on board?

Gil needed to know, _now_ , but… Zeetha bit harder and leaned a little forward. Chances are she wouldn’t be able to get a chance like this again, to figure out what she was doing. Knowledge was power. A kind of power Nod had always taught her to respect and that had only grown as she lived through her time In Stumhulten.

Closing her eyes she gave up one sense for another. It didn’t really work that way, not on its own, but among other techniques her mother had taught her how to tune out specific noises. She had already gotten rid of the humming of the wires, now one at the time she focused on others, the thrumming of engines, the whirling of fans and clanging of vents. Not footsteps or voices, she would need the warning if someone grew close.

Like all of Skifander ancient techniques1 it had its downsides, if was much harder to do on any great scale for more than one thing at a time without cutting off ones sight (or otherwise going into a more meditative state). And if one wasn’t careful they could risk deafening themselves to danger. That’s why she had only killed the humming prior. But now it should be just enough to…

“Are you done yet,” Luveka asked lightly. Before she had closed her eyes Zeetha had spotted her lounged out on a metal slab as if it was a chaise.

“Almost,” Klaus grumbled reluctantly. Zeetha pursed her lips, an odd twist in her stomach that she ignored.

“I really did think you would catch on faster,” Luveka replied in faux disappointment.

“You weren’t exactly open with instructions,” Klaus responded after a moment.

“I wanted to see if you could do it, clever isn’t it…”

“…Yes… more than your work ever was before,” Klaus responded bluntly.

Zeetha could all but feel the room grow ten degrees cooler. Then there was a snap of a hand fan closing and the tap of metal on metal. Luveka had gotten up. “Yes, well, things _change_ as time passes,” she finally replied, her voice ice.

Zeetha grit her teeth and slit her eyes open. Half strangled sound hit her but with some effort she pushed it back far enough to hear. It was much harder, but hearing didn’t seem like it was going to be enough.

Klaus finally paused, stilled for a long moment and then got up slowly, as if his every muscle was on the verge of collapse. He turned his mountain of his body and Zeetha’s toes nearly slipped from the narrow pipe she was perched on.

It wasn’t quite the same as before. The piping was nicer, fewer. The chair a comfortable padded, elegantly carved, red thing that might as well have been a throne if not for the restraints bolted and soldered onto its arms, legs, and head.

But it had the helmet, it had the crystals.

She knew exactly what that was.

Her throat went dry. She didn’t dare swallow.

Luveka wandered closer, tapping her cheek with one dainty finger and finally nodded. “Well, despite your delay, I mean _really_ it was if you didn’t _want_ to build it… you did well.” She turned over to him and Zeetha could see the smirk. “You deserve a reward I think,” she decide, her voice just pleasant enough to make Zeetha’s stomach turn. Klaus’ paling face showed he shared the sentiment.

“Unfortunately this body leaves something to be desired in several… functions,” she drawled, Zeetha felt her stomach turn even more and struggled to keep from grinding her teeth even as something that felt like relief hit her, if only lightly. Klaus’ shoulder trembled, she would have guessed out of anger or fear normally—but it seemed just as likely to be from trying to avoid showing relief. She hated her. _Hated_ her. Hated people like her. Hated the wasps and what they did. Hated _all_ of it.

Luveka suddenly and with dramatic pizzazz, turned. “I know.” She smirked. “How about I let _you_ choose the next girl.” Klaus’ jaw worked and Zeetha could feel her own teeth ache in sympathy.

“Though she must be beautiful of course.” She tapped her cheek again in thought. “A position of power would be a plus, a Spark preferred though after what I have heard Wilhelm has done I may have to do without until we reach England, or maybe Paris. I doubt he was able to get _too_ many of their girls even if the schools suffered. If nothing else old Simon always had a few good girls even if they never did meet his standards. Wilhelm wasn’t stupid enough to target _them,_ I’m sure.”

Klaus didn’t reply. Luveka sighed dramatically.

“You know I do miss our witfull snarking, running an empire has made you _so_ dull.”

There was a knock at the door before Klaus could reply, if he had even planned too. Zeetha grimaced. That mean people knew he was here. And that meant—

Luveka patted him on the arm. “Now remember your lines dear,” she threatened in a sunny voice before walking back to the other side of the room. Klaus wiped at his face and straightened.

“Come in.”

“Herr Baron,” A familiar voice answered, peeking in. Zeetha swallowed heavily, it was Boris. “It really _is_ you.”

“It is.”

Boris entered fully, his eyes glancing from Klaus to search the room, freezing on Luveka, who waved cheekily. He corralled his shock quickly but enough had passed through. Zeetha leaned forward and closed her eyes again. She needed to hear this.

“While I was… leaving I came across her being harassed by some of the townspeople.” Klaus frowned at Boris. “I thought she would be… safer up here.”

“And more imprisoned,” Luveka snarked lightly.

“You can show her to a room once thing up here have been contained.”

“Contained, sir?” Boris asked weakly. “Why are you hiding? Your son—”

“He’s on board, correct?”

“Yes, sir?”

“I’m afraid he’s been compromised,” Klaus explained, voice a little tight. “While in the Castle, he was put under the control of _her_. I can’t let him know I’m here until he has been properly neutralized.” Zeetha winced, remembering Boris’ look when she calmed Gil with a touch and word. He wouldn’t believe this would he? He knew who Luveka was that had been obvious… so he wouldn’t… right.

“N-neutralized sir?”

“Contained and imprisoned, drugged if necessary. I will do everything in my power to free my son from her influences.”

“Of course sir… what should I do?”

“Stay quiet, keep an eye on him. Don’t let him anywhere unsupervised. Quietly delay or neutralize any of his plans to stabilize Mechanicsburg. For now he’s mostly mopping up wild Sparks I imagine, beneficial to both of us, but anything else—” He paused. “Keep an eye on Sturmvoraus as well. I’m sure he’s also affected.”

“Of course sir.”

“You are free to go, quietly collect Dr. Chouteh before you return to Gilgamesh and send him to me. Make sure he knows to be… discreet.”

Boris made a face but turned to leave. Zeetha jerked away from the vent, barely managing to remember to be careful and quiet. Her head pounded as the movement jarred her awake. Another downside, it tended to hurt like hell when it finally let up and the world was noisy again. She shook her head as she tried to adjust. From the vent she could barely hear a garbled: “Now – girls – mind, hmm?”

She padded away from the vent until she was past certain she was too far away for noise to reach it and burst out into a run back the way she came. She didn’t know if Boris believed Klaus or not. He shouldn’t, he knew about Luveka and had seemed to recognize her in the lab, but Zeetha still remembered the mistrustful glances. Boris could still distrust Klaus and Lu _and_ Gil and her.

Plus Boris had no clue what machine he had walked in on, Gil needed to know that was there, _now_.

She was fast, but the paths were narrow, often half blocked by pipes and wires and other odds and ends, requiring her to crawl or shimmy. It was also twisting, she had explored in a rather half-hazardous manner. There were probably faster routes back but the last things she wanted right now was to get lost or caught.

Nod’s training was really all that stopped her from bursting right out the secret door she had come in, and for good thing it did, because as she cracked it open voices slipped through.

“—Are you sure, I mean he’s seems to be trying to help, and I heard—”

“Trying to help _her_ you mean, he’s using the drop walls to defend the city for balloon bees’ sake.”

“…You’re not wrong, but…”

“Who do you believe more? Our _boss_ who has be leading us for years, or his crazy kid? I mean you have _heard_ what happened in Beetlesburg right? And then he drugged his father and then spent the last what, _four_ days in Castle Heterodyne, with her, to stop his father from killing her, the _Other_? It’s pretty clear to me who the enemy here is.” There was a pause, some smoke drifted in through the crack. “Maybe he’s not wasped, not so sure about that watchamcallit Spark Wasp rumor, but this is textbook impatience Sparky noble son wanting to rule _now_ , and he sure is off the deep end, and been so since before she showed up. Wouldn’t be surprised if _he_ blew up the Hospital, tryin’ to kill his pops.”

“Actually… didn’t we pick her up In Beetlesburg?”

“Did we? Well maybe that’s where she got her claws in him.”

Their voices slowly faded away, thankfully in the opposite direction of where she needed to go. Zeetha bit her lip. They didn’t sound high up, not with how willing they were to talk about that in the hallway. That meant it was already spreading, even to the lowest airmen. Klaus was stealing the entire ship away from Gil, and Gil had no idea.

With that in mind she slipped out into the hall and powerwalked her way back.

With her delay she wasn’t all that surprised that when she finally slipped back into the room Boris was already there. Zeetha eyed them for a brief second, and felt the grapple in her chest loosen, though not all the way.  Though not against Klaus orders, that was still a bit… off?

She reached them just as Gil pulled away, leading Tarvek, and upon noticing her, her back to the tactical board.

“Hmm?”

“Just some new information from the battlefield,” Gil replied. Then he lowered his voice. “My father is here, so is _she_.”

Though Tarvek didn’t looks surprised he went pale. Zeetha just nodded. Tarvek gave her a sour look.

“Where have you been?”

“Looking around,” Zeetha replied shortly. She glanced at Gil, who had taken the moment to deliver some orders as several new enemy airships entered the fray. “Saw him. He’s hijacking your authority, and she made him make the _machine_.”

“What machine?” Gil asked even as Tarvek went paler.

“The one Agatha was put in,” Zeetha answered. Gil looked confused for a second but then his eyes went wide. “It works on other’s now. We need to _go_ before they move.”

“I’m not—” Gil paused and looked between the two of them. He sighed. “You’re in danger if you stay,” he instead said. He frowned. “They’ll be on to us as soon as we leave this room. We won’t have a lot of time… best bet…” He trailed off in thought. As he did so Tarvek barked a new order as a battalion was overwhelmed.

Gil rubbed at the bridge of his nose for a second and then nodded. “Okay, play along, alright.”

“What—Hey!”

“Black Fire and Slag!” he yelled as he pulled Tarvek up by his collar. Zeetha froze momentarily even as she conceptualized his words. “Just as I start to forget who you are you show another level of sociopathic callousness!”

“Sociopathic —” Tarvek gasped and then was thrown into the table. Several props fell over.

Gil loomed over him. “I will not sacrifice my men like that, you disloyal fiend!” He raised his arm. Zeetha grimaced. Play along, huh?

She jumped between them and tanked the punch. It hit her with more force than she expected. That did _not_ feel like play-fighting. She blinked away stars as Tarvek steadied her.

“Look what you made me do!” Gil snapped even as he threw one of Zeetha’s arms over his shoulder. Zeetha only just caught herself and allowed herself to hang off of them, looking worse for wear. The punch had hurt, but not _that_ bad. Even so she narrowed her eyes and whispered dryly. “Play fighting?”

Gil looked sheepish for all of two seconds, the punch hadn’t been meant for her, and then Tarvek spoke.

“ _Me_! You’re the baboon that _threw_ the punch,” Tarvek snarled back as he grabbed her other arm. “Over baseless assumptions, you giant, impatient, brute; I wasn’t _finished_ yet!”

“Oh, shut it you spineless felon,” Gil snapped back as he led them towards the door. One of the guards hesitated as they approached. “You’re lucky I don’t throw you into the brig on my way back!”

“As if, you _need_ me.”

“Ah, sir?”

“Don’t mind me, I’ll be right back after I get her to the infirmary.”

“Surely one of us—”

“No, no, I have it, a walk away from the table will clear my head anyway.” He waved off the guard and walked them through the door and down two halls before he shrugged Zeetha off. “Okay, that should give us a little time. Come on.” He led them through a secret hatch into another hallway.

“Where are you going,” Tarvek snapped. “This isn’t the way to any hanger I know of!”

“As if _you_ know all of them,” Gil snapped back. “But no, Father probably has guards at every hanger by now, we need a different way to escape.”

“Which is?”

“Just shut up and follow me, I’ll show you—Ah!”

Gil just barely side-stepped Dupree as she turned a corner. Coffee splashed over him. He grimaced but kept running.

“Grab her!” Gil yelled as they ran passed. Zeetha reached out and snatched her arm, pulling long enough to get her running after them.

“Hey! What do _you_ think—?”

“Do you want the Other in your head?” Gil snapped back. Bang stumbled slightly.

“…No?”

“Then keep running!”

Dupree blinked blankly at him and then turned slightly to Zeetha who was running at her side. “What’s going on?”

“The Other is here, controlling Klaus,” Zeetha answered.

“What! Then why are we leaving! We have to—”

“And Klaus controls the whole ship,” Zeetha interrupted. “Nobody believes the crazy heir in love with Agatha.” Zeetha glanced over at Dupree who actually seemed a bit concerned by that, and gave her a glance over. “Plus she has the machine that puts her in people’s heads. She’d probably happily do it to you.”

“What is _that_ supposed to mean?”

Zeetha gave her a look. Dupree scowled back at her but was either convinced or intrigued enough to follow.

 

“Okay come up, it’s all clear—Ahhh!”

Zeetha burst up only to freeze as she found Gil pinned to the ground by an ecstatic blue… lobster thing?

“Zoing!” Gil cried standing up and giving the lobster a hug. Zeetha sheathed her swords and glanced around. The place was rather big for a secret lab, four times bigger that Tarvek’s biggest, it even had windows, which felt rather counter-productive.

“How are the patients?” Gil asked. Zeetha looked over to notice two glowing tubes, each holding a bare figure. Based on what she’d heard Zeetha could only guess these were Agatha’s parents. “Ah, good, the healing is going well, they should be read to decant in a day or two.”

“Will they be okay left up here,” Zeetha frowned. Gil paused and thought.

“Here in my secret lab they should be, I mean, I don’t know if Lucrezia has anything against them personally but…” he frowned. “It won’t hurt them to stay in the tubes indefinitely, at least not for a long time if it comes to that…” he hesitated again, and Zeetha narrowed her eyes. If he saw them he ignored her and instead turned on his heel. “Here, this is only experimental but—”

He led them over to an odd, bug looking machine. Tarvek gaped at it. “Where’s the gas bag!” He yelped.

“It doesn’t need one—”

Zeetha ignored the words, she only understood half of them anyway, and instead frowned at Gil’s body language. At times he might be a decent actor, but he was hammy, over the top and wasn’t good at playing the part of indifference. All he was doing now was leading to—

“You _are_ , aren’t you?” Tarvek accused with a point. “For some, no doubted penny novel inspired reason you’re planning on staying behind! _Why_?”

—that.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Gil attempted poorly, shuffling round right next to a hanging control box. Zeetha sighed and stepped up. With a shove she pushed Tarvek over to the flying—falling—whatever machine (It kind of looked like a glider, but its wings were small enough that part of Zeetha shared Tarvek’s doubts…). “In.”

Tarvek frowned at her, but the two shared eye contact for a moment and he climbed in. Gil looked pleased. “Thank you Zeetha, now it really is simple to fly—”

Zeetha smacked him over the head with her staff. “In.”

“What no I—look I can’t just _leave_ ,” Gil defended. “Not my father… not the people on the ship, I can’t just _abandon_ them to _her_ —”

“Yeah!” Dupree spoke up, rubbing her hand together. “What are we doing running away, we should just go storm the bridge and—”

“What! No!” Gil whipped around. “You’re leaving.”

“What—!”

Zeetha pinched her nose and took a deep breath. Before she could say something a crash echoed throughout the lab. She turned and grimaced as a large man in a yellow sweater howled out in victory over a bunch of used to be vents.

Some secret lab.

“Wulfenbach we meet again at last!” he bellowed. “And the green haired girl as well, my lucky day!”

Flinging herself back around Zeetha pressed the button on the control box Gil had been suspiciously hanging by and then slammed into Gil’s back, pushing him and Dupree into the flying machine just as it began to drop. She fell too, and would have been in the clear if it wasn’t for the hand suddenly around her ankle. Her eyes went wide as the machine fell, and thanks to Castle Wulfenbach movements, was quickly lost from view.

The man, pulled her up, looking rather put out. “Well, at least I got one of you,” he grumbled. Zeetha scowled and kicked him in the face. “Hey—” She swung around, grabbing his arm so she wouldn’t fall into the void and pulled free. “What—” Twisting her body she slammed her staff into his back using his momentum to fling herself over him and send him flying to the hole.

He managed to catch the edge of the drop lift and flung himself up just as Zeetha landed and she was forced to leap backwards to avoid a stomp.

“What is this! A challenge! I accept!” He laughed. “Let’s see how well you fare against OTHAR TRYGGVASSEN Gentlemen Adventure—”

Zeetha smacked him over the head with her staff.

“Hey, at least let me _finish!”_ He scowled, snatching her staff from her hands and snapping it in two. Zeetha growled back and went for her swords as she danced away from his attacks. With a quick thrust forwards she drew blood, as well as cutting away a portion of his sweater.

“FOUL! That’s my favorite shirt!” He howled and a fist smacked into Zeetha’s cheek right where Gil had hit. Zeetha stumbled to the ground her head spinning. Othar was a very big man and that had been a very hard hit. She spat out a molar and grimaced. She hated losing teeth.

“Ihelp! Ihelp!”Zeetha heard and for a second she thought she had made it up but Othar’s sudden cry had her opening her eyes to a multi-color blur that slowly solidified into a multi-color bug clank holding Othar in its claws. Zoing jumped up and down on top of it excitedly.

“Foul!” Othar bellowed. “That’s cheating!”

”Pickupgurls,” Zoing bounced. “butpickuputo”

“Rude!”

Zeetha shook her head and stood, grimacing as the world shifted. That hit had led to a concussion, she could tell easily, but she doubted the clank would hold the man for long. She carefully made her way over to him as the world bobbed. She had heard enough about him from Agatha’s stories that she didn’t feel bad at all to slit his throat and be done with it. Then she could hide and—

“Clang! Clang! Clang!”

Zeetha froze two steps away from the clank and Othar stopped his struggling. They both stared at the can as it rolled between them.

“Oh—” Othar managed and then with a shriek gas burst from it and everything went black.

 

“What’s this?”

Zeetha glowered through her bangs and past her bruises. Her head was still a little wobbly from the concussion and the gas that had been her undoing, despite the smelling salts. Her arms had been pulled back behind and cuffed. Klaus, origin of the gas, stood a little bit behind that. He wasn’t holding her. Her legs weren’t barred. That was a mistake. A mistake he should know better than to do. That gave her a little hope.

“Oh, it’s the little runaway guard dog,” Luveka answered cheekily, hiding a smirk behind her fan. Zeetha scowled. Luveka walked closer. “Sacrificed yourself for those boys, did you, I suppose you know your place.”

Zeetha gritted her teeth and rolled her shoulders. She needed the right angle. She had one trick left. One she had learned from… well, from _before_.

“Of course, I know your _actual_ value,” Luveka continued, close enough now to tap Zeetha’s cheek with her folded up fan. “My little Princess—”

With a pop and a twist Zeetha yanked one of her hands free and smashed it into Luveka face. Then she dashed for the door. Klaus didn’t follow, instead putting himself between Luveka and her.

“No you fool,” Luveka shouted. “Catch her!”

Zeetha ran, shouldering her way into the paths between the walls as soon as she could. Her hand throbbed and swelled, her thumb hanging uselessly but she didn’t have the time to set it now. She had to get away, find someplace to lay low, if she was caught—

A door smashed in front of her and an arm caught Zeetha as she failed to stop. She nearly managed to vault over it but another hand snatched her leg and pulled her out. Zeetha struggled against the grip, but this time no matter where she hit nothing seemed to break.

“Did you really think you could hide away in our own lair,” Luveka’s voice drifted from behind. Zeetha growled. It wasn’t _her_ lair, and twisted some more as Klaus turned. Zeetha smirked despite everything as Luveka came into view and she noticed the crack in her cheek. Annoyingly she looked pleased, Zeetha guessed she hadn’t realized yet.

Luveka examined her and made a sound that would have been like clucking her tongue, if she had one. “Clever girl aren’t you, but I need you in good shape,” she looked to Klaus. “Fix her hand.”

A rough hand closed around her own, swelling one and Zeetha struggled in his now weakened grip. She wasn’t fast enough and with a pop the world went white. Zeetha grit her teeth to stifle a whine, and blinked away the stars. She wasn’t going to let such a trifle injury knock her out.

Her hand throbbed as Klaus grabbed her more properly. She struggled but it was no use. Head racing she tried to think. Something popped into mind and she grimaced. She was grappled, it would be unlikely to help too much, but at the very least she could cause confusion. She knew what was coming for her if she didn’t hurry, but Luveka hadn’t issues the command _yet_.

“Anevka Voluntary Disengage!” She snarled.

To her dismay Luveka just stared at her blankly for a long moment and then suddenly laughed. “Is _that_ what that little bit of code was?” She asked once she finally stifled her giggles. “Did you _really_ think I would just trustingly take a body from someone from _that_ family without taking a peak myself? Especially after the betrayal in Stumhulten. I had it gone before I even left the castle.”

Dread pulled Zeetha down like a training weight. Luveka only smirked at her and got way to close, making Zeetha sweat. She cursed Tarvek’s perfectionist nature. Anevka was never this expressive. It felt as if Klaus pulled her in tighter at the motion, though there really wasn’t any room to go. Somewhere in the back of her mind, the part that wasn’t panicking, Zeetha appreciated the thought.

“Unfortunately I don’t have any wasps up here yet to deal with you.” Luveka frowned, reaching out to trail a finger over her cheek, down her jaw and under her chin. Zeetha shudder at the touch and swallowed. With deceptive strength Luveka pushed it up so Zeetha’s neck was exposed. Zeetha could feel Klaus hands tighten around her arms. “Though you _are_ a pretty girl, even if green was never my color,” she smirked. “And one of Zanta’s little War Princesses… well she _does_ need to be punished for failing to keep a _single_ man occupied, perhaps we should arrange a visit… though I suppose I really _should_ be thanking her, it turned out _so_ well.” She beamed up above her. Zeetha could see just enough of Klaus jaw to tell he was gritting his teeth.

“Come, bring her with you. _Don’t_ let her escape.”

The slight hesitance Zeetha could feel, the trembling of every muscle before he followed, spoke volumes.

Unfortunately it was not enough. Zeetha fought every step of the way even as her mind steeled on what she had to do. She flailed with her feet, she even thought she had landed a crotch shot, but Klaus kept moving without delay. Her hands trembled a little bit but she also felt a little bit of peace settle. This delay would insure Tarvek and Gil made it to Mechanicsburg. They would find Agatha. They would stop them. She could honestly believe that.

Klaus sat her down onto the prisoner’s throne and wrestled each binding onto her. She struggled, she needed to keep up appearances at least, and deep down she still had a flicker of hope. She didn’t want to make this choice unless it _really_ was the only one. She didn’t want to die.

That thought surprised her. For the first time in a very long time Zeetha realized she _cared_ whether she lived or died. Ironic really. But there wasn’t many options open for her. Lu’s overlay would kill her, her body may still live, but she wasn’t Agatha, it would kill her well enough, and then use what’s left to hurt the people she cared about: Agatha, Tarvek, Gil, Higgs, her _mother_. She couldn’t let that happen.

The finally binding, the one around her forehead was pulled tightly into place. Klaus wouldn’t catch her eye, his face was pale. Zeetha pulled at the binding but they were tight, even on the chance she had the strength to break them she couldn’t move enough to try. She closed her eyes in defeat.

Zeetha took a deep breath, filling her lungs with resolve. _Sorry Ko_ , she thought briefly, her heart panging at a promise failed and then she opened her eyes.

She fought to catch Klaus’ gaze. She didn’t know for sure, and she had no idea what he thought, but at this point what did it matter. She offered him a soft smile which had his eyebrows shooting up. “Mor Mutan sahias kabaret.” His eyes widened more. Zeetha took a quick stuttering breath. “Ashtara mor kabo,”she muttered to herself, “Mor zurias natokan kidmaz,” and then shouted at the top of her lungs, “Liga eam anima!”

Her body seized as much as it could against the binds.  Iron flooded her mouth as she bit her tongue. Her vision blurred and faded. It hurt, but not as bad as she had expected, it had been a long time since she’s been shocked on a fully healed throat.

“Stop it! Stop it!” Echoed through the void of pain. She barely heard them. Barely understood them. Still she would have smiled if she still had control of those muscles and if the panic of not being able to breath hadn’t suddenly set in. It hurt so much more. The tampering safety—

“Faster!”

Her throat tightened, her chest compressed. For once she just wanted to pass out. She was going to die anyway. Just pass out—

 

Klaus collapsed forward as finally, _finally_ the collar stopped shocking. It was only for the slightest of moments before he was back up, numb and burned fingers checking her pulse. His head pounded from aborted Sparking. If only he’d been allowed to _Spark_.

“She alive?” Luveka asked dryly from behind him.

He scowled but his voice was monotone. “Barely,” he finally answered. The girl— _Zeetha’s,_ pulse stuttered unevenly below his finger, slowly on its way to failing. “But not for long.” He stood and headed to the medical supplies in one corner. She had ordered him to save her, the only order he was glad to have heard.

“Hmph,” Luveka said. “That stupid boy didn’t tell me all the codes,” she sighed. “I really shouldn’t be surprised. Either way that collar is proving to be more trouble than it’s worth…” Klaus’ pulse ran cold even as he gathered supplies. “Still… the look on Zanta’s face…” Luveka debated to herself.

More than you can even imagine, part of Klaus thought darkly, even if he barely wanted to admit it to himself. He hated himself. Hated what he hoped she decided. Zeetha had already chosen which she preferred but he couldn’t—

Luveka sighed. “Fix her up; put her in one of those fancy healing engines I’ve been hearing about.” She stood from where she had been lounging as she watched his panicked disarming. “Once she’s healed we’ll get that blasted collar off, I saw you didn’t disable the tempering safety.”

“It would have killed her if I tried,” Klaus defended. She waved her arm at his protest.

“Yes, yes, but I’m not going to subject myself to that, we’ll wait until we have that off, keep her drugged until then, she’s already proved annoying clever.” She paused and tapped at her cheek with a finger. “And maybe some cosmetic surgery to get rid of those nasty scars.”

Klaus grunted even as relief hit him. Time. That gave him time. He walked over and quickly began pulling the bindings off.

“Until then I’m going to go rest,” she decided. “This day has been _so_ exhausting, come to me once she’s in the engine.” She ordered as she left to his private quarters, which she had happily set up shop in. If only to see him squirm.

Klaus didn’t give himself the luxury of scowling after her. Zeetha’s pulse was failing, he had only so much time.  He pulled at her clothes as his mind rushed elsewhere. He needed to think or something, there had to be a way he could get her out of here. Get her safe. Gil was safe because of her. And she was—

He went to lay her into the closest engine only to belatedly remember it was still full. Cursing he turned on his heel and stormed from the room. A couple of halls away was the lab with the prototypes. It would take too long to decant and reset it, so they would have to do. He stormed into the lab and laid her back into the newest engine, and hooked up tubes. He refused to let himself finish his prior thought. His mind raced more as he closed the door. His mind rushed as he hooked up tanks and punched in codes. His mind rushed as through medication and equipment her stuttering heart stabilized, weak but sure. There _had_ to be a way.

But no matter what, no matter how hard he thought, nothing came to mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:
> 
> 1.The Technique of Sound. One of the first, second only to the technique of alertness(below), of Skifander’s ancient techniques taught to young Zumil’s. Mastering it gives them the ability to take specific sounds, white noise or even specific voices and footsteps and tune them out.
> 
> Technique of Alertness: A technique where Zumil's learn to put to memory specific sounds as friendly, such as a Kolee’s footsteps, and be hyper aware of sounds not memorized, so when a sound that shouldn’t be there (such as unknown footsteps walking into a bedroom as they sleep) they wake up (or otherwise become alert) when a friend's footsteps would not alert them.
> 
> Skiff (Edit: whoops I forgot to translate!)
> 
> 1\. Mor Mutan sahias kabaret: (I Death dance-of {cutting-in}) I cut in on Death's dance. (Basically I choose my death.) Referencing the saying "You never know when Death will cut in on the dance" that Zeetha tells Agatha in the second novel. And the curse Zeetha's says in Zeetha was Sicker Than She Thought (I hope Death pulls you from the dance) And my fanon where the people of Skifander have a "grim reaper" figure separated from their religion, and use dance as a metaphor for life. (And fighting).
> 
> 2\. Ashtara mor kabo: (Ashtara I/me forgive) Ashtara forgive me.
> 
> 3\. Mor zurias natokan kidmaz: (I your army come-to) I come to join your army. (Referencing my fanon idea that between reincarnations, the people of Skifander work for Ashtara, their part of the deal to pay for the guidance and boons she gives while they are alive (and safety while they are dead.)


	23. In Which a plan comes together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So note: I'm actually going to post the last two chapters Wednesday and Thursday this week, so I end the story on the same day I posted the first chapter-- because I'm a dork like that!

Violetta sucked on a cheek as she peered through one of the gaps between the drop walls. Castle Wulfenbach loomed far in the distance. If she were to put her hand up to compare it looked about as long as her pinky, but that just showed how huge Castle Wulfenbach was. 

The fact it was lit up by hundreds of support craft was the only reason she could see it at all, low dark clouds had rushed in, darkening the sky and the castle sat right in them. The mountains kept them from lowering, but the fact that they didn’t seem to be trying to rise above the clouds was alarming.

She had no idea what was going on in that ship.

She had no idea where her stupid cousin was either.

Behind her she heard her new lady—she was still trying to work through how she felt about that— curse, the machine she was working on, something Mister Gil had made, giving her some trouble. Or maybe it was the worries she was trying to drown out with her work, Violetta didn’t know.

She had never been very good at the whole plot and ploy game, but for the life of her Violetta couldn’t think up a reason Tarvek would run off and that scared her a little and annoyed her a lot. Of course for the first time in a long time (part of her refused to lie, refused to forget that at one point, a long ago point, her and Tarvek had been friends of a sort. The kind of friends you could be as Smoke Knights and Valois heirs at any rate, where normal friendship wasn’t something that could exist, not really, not for them. It was kind of like trust) that she found herself caring for her cousin, liking him, he _disappeared_. Disappeared in the “likely kidnapped” instead of the “likely ran off” kind of way.

She hated it. She was sure Agatha did too, as had Mister Gil before he run off to find his father. The two had been all but panicking when the Castle couldn’t tell them where he’d gone or even when. Were still panicking even if they pushed it behind walls of “we don’t have time for this now” and “he probably just ran off” and “he’s a sneaky snake he’ll be fine no matter what.”

Violetta was good at walls, and while she had never been good at reading people (Motion sure, but thoughts, motives, reasons… never), those three? They were _bad_ at them. It was easy to see.

Zeetha, she had noticed, was much better. She would have seen it for sure.

Violetta was worried about her too. She and Agatha had run into Mamma, who had told them Zeetha was both better and had left with Mister Gil. She could tell them that, at the very least, they had made it into an airship that had flown towards Castle Wulfenbach.

A castle that was currently fighting a storm instead of rising above it.

Not to mention the lost Other fragment running around.

Such far, the attacking had stopped. The drop walls were in place to help them not hurt them, so Mister Gil must have gotten through somehow… but in the last hour or so everything had gone quiet. Yes, there was still the occasional soft boom and flash in the distance, showing some fighting was still happening. Ten minutes ago, far off in the mountains, she had a watched an airship fall in flames in fact, but the field below her had been abandoned. She would have figured Mister Gil would have put down soldiers to help reinforce the walls. Then again, she knew nothing about wars and armies. She barely knew anything about working in pairs. Smoke Knights almost always worked alone. Teamwork had been all but ignored in their training.

Violetta sighed as Agatha cursed again as a tool dropped. She rubbed at her eyes and looked back over the trodden field below. All she could do at the moment was guard and keep watch—

She paused. Then frowned and peered closer. A speck was flying towards them from the castle.

“La—Agatha,” Violetta called taking a step back, eyes narrowed.

“Hmm?”

“Something’s heading our way.”

She heard Agatha set down the tool behind her.

“Castle?”

“It seems to be some kind of small flying craft,” the Castle replied in a low monotone. Agatha had ordered it to shut down to standby all but it’s most necessary function in hopes of managing to store some power before the next possible wave. The Dyne engine was running once more, but the Castle couldn’t run on what was generated _and_ fight for long. It needed stores to fight at a hundred percent. Stores they didn’t have. “I don’t believe it’s a clank, it seems to have some lifeforms on it… some kind of flying engine perhaps?”

The big, green… something flew past overhead smoking. Violetta turned to watch it go and caught Agatha’s eye, and the realization slowly drawing there.

“Don’t worry M’lady, I have it,” the Castle spoke up.

“Wait!”” Agatha cried. “That’s one of—” Her words died in her throat as her hands clamped over her mouth in anguish as the thing exploded. “Gil’s… flying… machines,” she finished slowly in a whisper, her eyes wide and watery.

Violetta realized with a pang what that may mean and ran to the other side of the wall to search for remains. All she could see was a few smoldering fires littering the street below. A couple of residents were already poking at them and putting them out.

“No…” Agatha breathed, the day catching up to her as she slumped to her knees. A stray tear dripped down her cheek and Violetta was halfway to her when she froze—

“I _told_ you that wouldn’t fly,” a voice that had Violetta’s heart jumping in frustrated relief, growled.

Agatha’s head dashed up. “Tarvek!” She whimpered a little watery.

“It did _too_!” Another voice countered, one that had Violetta breathing in relief. Agatha froze beside her. Violetta turned to find Mister Gil, Tarvek, and another woman hanging from the back of their collars like kittens by what seemed to be floating bricks.

“After I _fixed_ it. And then you broke it again!”

“The steering wasn’t _working_! I need too—I was trying too—we needed to go _back_!”

“I _want_ to help _too_!” Tarvek growled back, some actual pain in his voice. Neither boy seemed to have noticed Agatha. “But dying mid-flight _isn’t_ going to help!”

Agatha finally seemed to awaken and she turned to look, her eyes went wide. “GIL!” she cried jumping up and all but tackling him into the ground just as his feet hit stone.

“But—” Tarvek protested looking hurt and a bit deflated. “What about…” He trailed off as Agatha reached out and pulled him in too. The girl, Violetta noticed, carefully and quickly stepped out of Agatha’s reach.

“I thought…” she hiccupped. “I recognized your design—I figured you had to be on it—and then it _exploded_ —and I thought—” She hiccupped again. “And you!” her head turned from nuzzled up in Gil’s chest to Tarvek’s. “You were _gone_! And V-Violetta later told me that—that she couldn’t think of a reason you would leave on your own—and I was so worried—I tried to p-pretend I wasn’t—But I was so, _so_ worried.”

Both boys stared wide eyed at each over Agatha’s head, and then as one closed their eyes and wrapped their arms tightly around her, and ultimately, each other. Violetta rolled her eyes at the sight, even if, deep down, part of her squealed at the cuteness. It _was_ still her icky cousin. Not to mention if this kept up she was sure to lose the bet. How was _she_ supposed to know Tarvek was capable of sharing? Not to mention somehow, _maybe_ , found more than one (a feat in _itself_ ) person who could deal with his shit.

Still, she waited until they slowly and reluctantly pulled apart before walking up to Tarvek. With no greeting she socked him right in the arm. He yelped in pain and surprise and turned to her. She smirked. Maybe he was a little distracted, but she could still sneak up on him. She supposed there wasn’t anything _wrong_ with a challenge. She could live with this.

“Violetta, why!” he yelped.

“Don’t do that again.” Violetta warned.

Tarvek blinked at her. “What?”

“Worry me.”

Tarvek blinked again. “You were… worried.” He tried to smirk, to play it off as teasing, but even Violetta could hear the startled surprise and awe in his voice.

Violetta made a face. “Yes. And it _sucked._ Don’t do that again.”

Agatha cleared her throat, drawing their attention back. “What happened?”

Gil and Tarvek frowned. “My father… he came back… and she was there, the one in the Clank. He had already turned most of the ship against me—” He grimanced, annoyed.

Tarvek glanced over at him. “Escape before we were captured _was_ our only option.”

Gil sighed. “Yes, yes, you said.” He slumped. “But still, we could have done something more—”

“What we should have done is fight back,” the girl to the side finally snapped.

“Not even _you_ can take an entire ship of people on,” Tarvek snipped only to flinch away as she turned to glower at him.

“You think so Mr. ‘How-dare- you’?”

“Who exactly…” Agatha asked, a little wary.

“Oh, this is Bangladesh Dupree,” Gil said, gesturing to the fuming girl with a jerk of his head. “She’s well…” he struggled for a second.

“Murderous, insane, maniacal, a psychopath,” Tarvek offered. She smirked.

“…Dupree.”

Agatha stared at her for a long moment and then her eyes went wide.

“Where’s Zeetha?” Agatha she asked backing away, her hands finally dropping from their shoulders. “Mamma said she was with you?” Violetta’s heart plummeted as both boys were suddenly serious, quiet, and most alarming, they paled. Even Dupree backed off. She may not have known the warrior girl long, she may have had a horrible first impression, but she had _liked_ the quiet girl.

“She… she got left behind,” Tarvek finally said, his voice distant and business like.

“Left behind? You _left_ her _behind_?” Agatha cried.

“We didn’t _mean_ too, she pushed us into the flying machine and set us off just as Othar got her,” Gil returned, a little panic coming through.

“We have to _save_ her!”

“It… it may already be too late…” Tarvek responded instead, looking a little sick. Gil grimaced at the words but didn’t refute them.

“…What?” Agatha breathed.

“Lucrezia… she had my father make a machine—” Gil started.

“It’s another Summoning Engine,” Tarvek finished. “She wouldn’t make another unless she wanted to use it right away, the other one got out after all and Castle Wulfenbach hasn’t even been fully taken yet.”

“You… think…” Agatha trailed off, one hand coming up to her mouth as she conceptualize it all. Violetta wasn’t sure what exactly going on, but from the three pale faces in front of her she knew it couldn’t be good and swallowed.

“I think… that if she had the time she would have done it in Stumhulten…” Tarvek replied softly. “I was con—scared she would, and…” he frowned looking up at the sky. “She showed a lot of interest about where she was from…and just… _her_.”

“But…. But even then… you can get her _out_ right…” Agatha looked up with fragile hope. “You said you could get her out of _me_.”

Tarvek was quiet for a long moment, eyes never leaving the swirling clouds above. A drop a rain fell onto his cheek.

“I’m not sure… that would work…” Tarvek finally admitted.

“What! B-but you— said— you _could?_ ”

“I can help _you_ because your still _there_ ,” Tarvek snapped back. “You weren’t _supposed_ to be, Lucrezia was surprised, and she _fixed_ things, made it _better_ , to work on _anyone!_ ” He paced away, his voice heated, a hand roughly pulling at his hair. His tie had snapped at some point leaving it free and tangled. “Zola found a way to trap her, who the hell knows how she managed _that_ , but Zeetha won’t have that,” he continued. “Plus Zeetha _isn’t_ a Spark… I don’t know if that would change anything but considering Lucrezia is suppressed by the same thing that suppressed your Spark if very well _could_! I just…

He paused, back facing away, “I just…don’t know…”

It was silent for a long moment as a few more early drops splatted on the stone below.

“Yeah, well—” Dupree finally drawled. Violetta looked up to find her standing a little bit away, hands crossed, drumming her fingers on her arm. “You’re not going to find out by _moping_ are you?” She noticed everyone was staring at her and she shrugged. “You’re not going to find out until you have her strapped up somewhere and can do some sort of weird, messed up tests, so what the _hell_ are we waiting for.”

 

After some planning they converged at Mamma’s, everyone from the Generals to Theo gatherd in one place.  The news took to everyone differently. Theo and Sleipnir were aghast. The generals, save Mamma, focused more on the Other’s doings, though were annoyed that someone _dared_ harm someone their Heterodyne deemed important. Higgs who had come in last, with news of Zola’s capture at the hospital, went pale, eyes wide, his jaw working a few times with aborted words before he just slumped, teeth gritted and with a glare that had several people shuffling back.

“Knew I shoulda’ taken those swords,” he muttered. Mamma elbowed him.

More than one person rolled their eyes; he wasn’t exactly the most subtle.

They gatherd around the General’s table down under Mamma’s, the room packed with as many people as they could feasibly manage.

 “Here is what we do,” Agatha declared as she smoothed out a map on the table they surrounded:

 

_“With some consideration we’ve realized we can’t use Mechanicsburg defenses to stage a rescue at the distance Castle Wulfenbach is at.”_

 

“I don’t understand why you don’t just have _me_ bring the ship down,” the Castle complained.

Agatha looked up from a bunch of parts she was sorting, Gil and Tarvek didn’t even bother to stop as they quietly bickered. “And how would you do that?”

“Hmph, while my long range defenses are still rather… underpowered, I do have many clanks at my disposal. I would like to see that floating mammoth attempt to fight off a swarm of them.”

Gil made a half muffled noise of offense. Tarvek snickered lightly. Agatha frowned. “I thought you couldn’t communicate outside the walls yet.”

“A swarm doesn’t need much directing to be destructive,” it countered. “I simply need to show them a target and they do the rest.”

“And what about innocents,” Agatha challenged with narrowed eyes. “What about _Zeetha_ , could you assure they would be unharmed?”

The Castle made a noise that could only be described as bewildered. “Well…”

“Plus in the chaos it would be too easy to lose track of the Other.”

“See, _that_ I understand.”

 

_“So instead, Gil, Tarvek, and I have put some work in and we’ve managed to figure out a way to make a miniature lion—”_

 

“Castle, are you ready?”

“Yes, my Lady,” the Castle replied, sounding _extremely_ enthused. It had been a long time since it had helped in an experiment.

Agatha turned and looked at the nine identical clanks she had ordered the Castle to deliver to her, standing in a cross formation exactly three feet apart. They stared at her awaiting her orders.

“Gil?”

Gil, on the other side of the formation threw an orb. Just before it hit the middle clank it clicked, and for the slightest second a hiss and flash of static emerged. Then nothing.

“Clanks, step forward,” Agatha called out after a moment. The furthest clanks shifted slightly and fell, the other five stayed locked in place. “Castle?”

“The five center ones have ceased responding to my commands,” the Castle replied. “The four outer ones hear me but can do nothing but report errors.”

“Six feet effective radius,” Gil remarked. “We’ll have to get in close.”

“If it even works,” Tarvek murmured looking uneasy. “These clanks don’t exactly compare to a muse level _or_ a human consciousness.”

“No, but the original took out the Castle,” Gil countered. “And we just need it to take out the hardware anyway, and _you_ said it will yourself and you _built_ it.”

“I said it _should_ ,” Tarvek huffed. “I don’t like working with shoulds.”

“Well we don’t have much of a choice,” Agatha ended. “Now get to work, we don’t have time and we need three more. And I still need to work on our contingency plan—”

 

_“As much as I hate it, I’m staying back to oversee Mechanicsburg defenses. We know she’s going to attack sooner or later, and well—”_

_“I am not letting you risk your life until there is an heir—”_

_“Yes, yes, you’ve said.”_

 

Agatha watched from the top of the wall as Gil, escorted on either side by Captain Dupree and Airman Higgs walked over a hill and out of sight. Violetta at her side gave her arm a squeeze.

With a sigh she turned away and back to the groups of townsfolk who were rushing back and forth, moving supplies, fixing up ancient weapons of mass destruction and building even newer ones.

Agatha smiled the slightest bit; Gil had given her his wand. She’d like to see someone attack her town _now_.

Lightning crackled just over the mountain and she parsed her lips in thought… that gave her an idea.

 

_“Captain Dupree, you’re going to “escort” Gil back, saying you were kidnapped. Airman Higgs you will accompany them. Each of you will have a miniature lion, if you get face to face with Lucrezia, fire it.”_

 

Gil grimaced as he stepped forward, putting on a bit of a show even as his foot did hurt. As soon as they had crested a hill, and gotten out of eyesight from, and he quoted, “Your scary Sparky girlfriend with the missiles,” Bang had demanded to beat him up a little. As much as Gil wanted to say no, he knew it was necessary as soon as she said it. He wouldn’t have come back without a fight.

That in mind he added an extra wobble to his step as he was pulled unceremoniously. Drugged out of his mind was also likely necessary since unconscious was off the table. He grimaced again as Bang pulled him sharply, her grip leaving bruises through his sleeve. He had thrown off his tools if only to assure they wouldn’t bother to search him. They couldn’t find the small orb hiding in his shirt—or the earpiece for that matter.

“Hey you!” Bang shouted as they left the airship, causing some poor dock boy to jump. “Where’s the boss, I found his stupid kid.”

 

_“Tarvek will also be staying behind, he’s going to be working on mass producing his vaccination as well as looking into a cure at the Hospital with Dr. Sun. If he finishes early he’s going to look into my… mother problem too with Zola’s… ‘help.’”_

“Vaccination production is already well on it’s way,” Dr. Sun said sternly as he narrowed his eyes at the boy in front of him. “The hospital staff has been fully vaccinated—” He hesitated, for the briefest second looking uncertain. “Or at least the ones that were not priorly wasped, as well as Klaus’ closest guard and officers, as good as that did them. The next batch was going to be for the Heliolux Air Fleet but I suppose now it should be distributed to the townspeople.”

“I wouldn’t worry about them.”

Dr. Sun raised an eyebrow, “Oh?”

Tarvek sighed and fixed his glasses, blatantly ignoring the three wasp eaters that had taken roost on his shoulders and head. Ignoring the events to _why_ they had taken roost on his shoulders and head, even if the kiss had been nice and Gil’s angry pout even nicer. Ignoring how Agatha was on the frontlines, and Gil behind them and he was here, as safe as any of them could be. Ignoring everything irrelevant as he had been taught all his life. He had his job. His mouth tasted bitter. “Yes, it was just a theory before, and reports are still coming in for the other side of town, but other than the wasped the Empire brought, a few tourists, and some of your staff that hasn’t been here long or has recently been away for a while, nobody here seems to be wasped.”

“Almost impossible considering the calculated spread,” Tarvek interrupted. “And I think _that_ is how were going to be able to stop this.”

 

_“And whatever happens, stopping that clank, removing Klaus from the equations, and destroying the Summoning Engine is priority.”_

_“And Miss Zeetha?”_

_Agatha looked up at the Airman in front of her. With Gil and Tarvek flanking her from behind, he had taken one of the two empty seats at the table. The same one Zeetha had sat in she noted tiredly._

_“Whatever we can.”_

 

Dark. Pinned. Floating. Choking.

Air! Air! Air!

Out! OUT! Out _outoutoutoutout—_

Slam! Slam! Pain! Slam!

Light! Freedom!

Zeetha snatched and pulled at the tube forced down her throat, crying out through her choking as it ground against raw skin. Gripping the sides of her prison she pulled herself free, other tubes ripping painfully from her skin, and slipped on the spilled liquid.

Then she was on the ground. Her shoulder smarting. Her blurry eyes staring at the… _the_ … her breath hitched… coffin in front of her?

She was alive. She was alive. She was alive. Alive Alive _alivealivealivealivealive_ —

How? When? Who? Why?—

She shivered. Cold. Naked—

Her breath stopped. What… What? Whattwhatwhat— _who?_

Her breathed slipped out between her teeth. Her eyes narrowed. _Her._

Her. Her. Her. Her Herherher _herherher—_

Smirk and Laugh and Pain and Metal. Red and Blonde and Pink and Purple. Slavery and Possession and Stabbing and Helplessness. Notwan. Notwan. _Notwan._

The tube in her hand shattered. Her blood pumped with Rage and Revenge and Resentment and Glee.

Her ancestors howled for blood. Movemovemovemove! Gogogogogogogo!

Her lips stretched, barred, teeth clenched, eyes wide. She would show them. They left her alive. She would _show_ them—

 _They_ were _dead_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skiff Translation: 
> 
> Notwan: Slur used against twins whose twin still lives. Unfortunately also the only word Skiff has for Twin. The closest non-offences thing would be to say: "Sibling born at the same time as I with the same father." (Fun fact, having a different father (or mother in the rare chance they are born on the same day) is not considered the same thing as being a notwan/twin in modern Skifander, though there is still some taboo.)


	24. In Which A Plan Is Executed

The boy didn’t even manage to choke out an answer before a pleased laugh echoed from down one hall. Gil groaned openly and even Bang let out a frustrated sigh. Higgs blinked between the two of them.

“Gilgamesh Wulfenbach,” Othar greeted in a shout as he stepped into the room. “How kind of you to make it so easy for me to find you,” he continued. “Once you’re in custody I can finally get this blasted collar off.”

At the mention of collar Gil scowled.

“Well screw you,” Bang said gripping Gil tighter. “I found him first.”

“I think not!” Othar refuted. “You are part of his evil entourage!”

“We ah… we kidnapped her,” Gil intervened. “You know, evil mastermind and all.” Gil almost winced. He sounded like some character in a cheesy play. Then again, any moment with Othar was like being in a cheesy play. So it probally would work, maybe even more so than something more… deceptive.

“As if,” Bang snorted.

That was of coarse, if Bang knew her _part_ …

“Bang!”

“Ah, hah!” Othar exclaimed. “Trying to trick me, are you. Don’t you know that Othar Tryggvassen _Gentlemen Adventurer_ can’t be tricked!”

Gil ignored him and glared at Bang. Bang rolled her eyes and shoved him towards Higgs. “Look, just go on, I’ll _deal_ with this _idiot_ and be right there. How hard can it be?” Gil almost answered but she was already flying towards the yellow draped behemoth. He sighed and turned. By the time he made it to the hanger’s door two airships were already heavily damaged and there were three new dents in the floor.

So much of any element of surprise—Though admittedly it was probably better than all of them fighting Othar. Bang returning alone and getting in a fight with him within moments of stepping on board was honestly not particularly odd an idea. His father probably wouldn’t even bat an eye normally, nor would the majority of the ship.

Considering the circumstances he probably would know what was up—but Luveka should not, and hopefully he wouldn’t have to share.

“Sir?” Higgs questioned as the carnage behind them faded.

“We figure out where my father is, we keep the ruse up as long as we can, you’re just going to have to do it.”

 

Eventually they found someone high enough up the ladder and dumb enough to buy their story to have them escorted straight to his father’s office. His father was standing at one side of the desk chair, Luveka having taken his spot in the seat. That by itself almost made Gil sick. Though he found an odd sense of satisfaction from the crack that spiderwebbed its way up her cheek, he wasn’t sure but he had a guess from where it came from.

What did make his stomach turn was Zeetha’s swords hanging haphazardly next to the strange, oversized Katar’s he had come home from Paris to find his father had obtained. Gil had always thought them odd. Far be it to say his father was particularly spartan. The castle’s interior decorating was ornate for a reason, but his office had always been bare before that. Gil had never found the courage to ask about them.

He had the courage now.

“Where is _she_ ,” Gil snapped taking several steps forward, twisting out of Higgs tight grasp, glancing back from the swords to the smirking clank in front of him. She just tilted her head.

“Who?”

“You _know_ who.”

“Oh, the little Skifandrian Princess you mean?” Luveka tapped her chin. “The one you _abandoned_? Oh, don’t worry about her, were taking _very_ good care of her.”

Gil scowled. That told him nothing. His stomach turned with the idea there were two Lucrezia’s on board now.

“I can’t let you play with her now,” she continued. “You’ve been a _very_ naughty boy after all, I’m afraid to say you’re grounded.”

His blood boiled. “No, you are!” Gil snapped and snatched the mini lion out of his pocket and flung it at her. It soared in a perfect, near invisible arch—right into his father’s swinging palm. Gil and Higgs dodged as the lion discharged near them, static singing Higgs’ sleeve.

Gil turned to him and gaped. The man stared back with an extremely forced face of indifference. Gil of coarse knew his father was an incredible fighter, with significant reflexes and a good eye—logically and theoretically that was. He had never actually _seen_ him fight before. He had been trained by Von Pinn, various tutors, and Bang. Whatever small time his father could put aside for him usually turned into lab training or being a fellow test subject for vaccinations and posions. He was too busy a man for anything else.

Logically he shouldn’t have been surprised, but he felt blindsided none the less. Perhaps, despite everything, he hadn’t thought his father would come to her defense so fast and effortlessly. That he would be so fully controlled. For all he had known that had been a _bomb._

“Did you really think he would let me get hurt?” She asks with a mocking grin. Gil gritted his teeth his vision going red. His pulse thundered in his veins and his fisted hands shook by his sides. The draught was long out of his system but the _Dyne_ and the _Bell_ and he was just _angry_.

He charged. Luveka jumped back nearly flipping her chair—his father snatching him halfway and threw him into the wall with a loud thunk.

“I think I’ll leave you two to it,” Luveka said somewhere behind his looming bulk as the door opened and a few confused guards rushed in. Gil lunged forward and scowled as his father blocked his pass with a grapple. “Meet me when you’re done, _Herr Baron_?”

He then threw Gil and he hit the floor hard. He fluttered his eyes open in time to watch Higgs dash out the door. His father turned to follow and Gil acted. Throwing himself from the floor to his back, sending them both back to the ground.

“No!” Gil Sparked.

They wrestled. His father had far more bulk but was still weak even as he was fully healed. Gil was smaller, but far quicker. It was a surprisingly even match for a moment and part of Gil mourned they had never done this just for fun.

Then his father found leverage and threw Gil across the room. Faster than even Gil thought was possible he was on his feet and out the door. Gil’s face twisted and he charged after.

 

Higgs charged, but purposefully did not quite catch up. Muses, in which he had gathered he was basically fighting against, may not have been made to fight, especially not non-Otilia ones, but they were durable and fast. He _could_ break it apart and he _could_ catch up but he didn’t particularly _want_ to with the crowds they kept storming pass if he could help it, because it would _not_ be normal. As was he was faster than he usually allowed. He could only hope it would be forgotten or at least just fade into his urban legend persona he had been forced to create.

Not to mention he had seen what a Muse’s lightning could do. _Personally_. He did not want to get into melee with her unless he had no other choice.

Thankfully he had another choice.

He threw his lion ahead of her just as she was looking back. It bounced several times and then sat lifelessly. A _dud_ —no, wait, Gil’s lion has be thrown back at him—he hadn’t even realized—barely bothered to dodge knowing what it did— of _course_ they hadn’t been shielded from themselves. There had been no time.

(He should have realized, but truth be told he hadn’t really been in action in a while, people in his standing usually didn’t. Even among his crowd, especially not in his job. Truth of the matter was, old and experienced or not, he was rusty, he was making mistakes.)

This was the worst place to be making mistakes.

She was getting away. Higgs scowled and charged after. He would just have to do it the old fashioned way then, shock or no shock, cover or no cover.

He sped up… he didn’t have to do so by much, she wasn’t _that_ fast… he didn’t have to fully blow his cover to the random passersby’s they passed as they ran. The Unstoppable Higgs would just get another odd story added to it, become a little more a curiosity— Then suddenly she turned into a side hall. Higgs slid to a stop, just barely avoiding overshooting. He scowled as he found her on the other side of an armed mostly confused but others uncomfortably neutral line of soldiers and running still.

“Shoot!” She shouted back.

Higgs lips twisted in frustration as he jumped to the other side of the opening, bullet fire following in his wake. Real bullets, not the stun bullets from Stumhulten. Even he didn’t like getting shot, let alone many times at once. He didn’t have time to heal from that.

He had no time to deal with them at all and continued down that path. He would find another way over. He didn’t know Castle Wulfenbach that well, most of his time aboard had been drinking at one of the bars and meeting with contacts, but he would bet he knew more than she did.

He would bet he was a mite bit faster to.

Of course she had a number of ways to go, but he was pretty sure he knew where she would end up.

 

Airman Otto frowned as he paused in his steps to the canteen. Something was off something was… blowing against his neck?

He turned and the last thing he saw was an upside-down, fangy grin before darkness took him.

 

Lu peeked around a corner and smiled. In the far distance she could hear fighting. Klaus and his overgrown son most likely. Good. People would be drawn to that and she was already almost to the hangar. At worst she had to worry about the airman the boy had brought, if he hadn’t been killed by her gunmen that was, but she had long lost him.

Though she may just have to leave Klaus, and that truly was a pity. With luck things would be contained before that but best be prepared. Who knew what her silly daughter was planning.

A slap of footsteps caused her to freeze, and she peeked behind her just in time to watch the Skifandrian girl walk into a crossroads from the way she had come. The girl turned. Her eyes were glassy, face neutral.

She stared.

Lu stared.

She smirked.

 

“Kill her!”

Higgs blinked as his prey dashed past him in a panicked, oblivious rush. He shook it off and was just about to chase her down, only to get knocked off his feet by a flying gunman he hadn’t had time to brace for. He glanced over the battered woman in confusion only to freeze.

A woman stalked down the hall in bare feet, smirking, her face shadowed. She wore an ill-fitted airman’s uniform with a few bleeding tears from near missed shots but otherwise seemed healthy. An odd mix of relief and worry knotted in his stomach, because he knew that green hair anywhere. She was alive. She wasn’t the Other, that was obvious.

She also didn’t seem to acknowledge him either, noticed him yes, cared no.

And she had just thrown a bleeding, unconscious gunman at him and was dragging another.

With a slam the side door to the hangers closed. Higgs gritted his teeth and jumped to his feet.

Zeetha just dropped the man and kicked him right through the door—

 

The fight with his father was exhausting. Most of the time he seemed more interested in chasing down Luveka and Mister Higgs, but when they did get into brief brawls they were quick, brutal, and tended to end with him slammed into a wall or the floor and his father running again with no time to even attempt Agatha’s backup plan. It was embarrassing and frustrating and worst of all Gil imagined that if his father wasn’t so single minded by whatever “protect me” orders Luveka had on him, the fight would be long over.

At least there weren’t that many people around to see this… or shoot at him for attacking the Baron. He had no idea where his father was going; the route seemed nonsensical, twisting through the least populated halls of the ship, even though he had twigged on to the fact the destination was the hangers. The same ones they had arrived in ages ago.

In some ways that could be really good. With Bang’s help he could probably get the edge he needed against his father, or at least he _hoped_ so, but it also could be really bad, If Bang was still fighting… or if she had lost…

He certainly had no wish to fight his father and Othar at once… and had certainly never thought he would ever think that sentence.

Which of course meant that as soon as Gil and his father tumbled through the door in a big heap, the first thing he heard was Othar’s, though somewhat strained, laugh.

He groaned. He would have sworn his father groaned with him.

“Idiot! What are you doing!” Bang snapped from somewhere nearby. Gil distanced himself from his father before he could be thrown again and shot her a glare.

“What about _you_ , you said you had this?”

She scowled and fumed. She didn’t look good. Honestly Gil had never seen her look so bad. She was bruised and battered, one eye swollen shut and from the near invisible swaying she was hiding she had taken a nasty blow to her head asides from that.

Othar didn’t look great either. Bang’s knives had done a number on him and he was holding himself mostly on one leg.

“I’m _trying_ okay,” Bang finally snapped back.

“Just throw him off the ship!”

“That’s an _option_!”

“Of course it’s an option, its _Othar_ ,” Gil snarled even as he vaugly rememberd that Bang had never properly met him before. “Did you decide _now_ of all times to gain a sense of morals!”

Bang gestured roughly back at him before just barely dodging Othar who had gotten over his surprise at his and his fathers—

_His father_ — Gil threw his attention back to his father and was surprised to find him hesitating. It occurred to him that he must have assumed Luveka would be here and the fact she wasn’t, he could only guess, had briefly thrown the orders out of whack.

His father slowly looked at him, his fists trembling. Gil gulped. It also meant that with Luveka’s whereabouts completely unknown, there was nothing stopping him from attacking him with his all.

Gil readied himself. This wasn’t going to be fun.

SLAM!

His father all but teleported from his position near Gil to the other side of the hanger where a rather out-of sorts looking Luveka was backing away from the door she had just slammed shut.

Gil charged over himself swallowing back a curse. He had been desperately hoping Higgs would have managed to catch her with his lion. He could only hope from her befuddled state meant she hadn’t lost him and that he still had it.

“Klaus!” She snapped as she noticed him. “Defend me, that girl has escaped—”

Gil slowed. _Girl?_

SLAM!

His eyes snapped back to the door in time to watch the painful fall of a gunman end. From behind the gunman Zeetha stalked in as if she owned the place: relaxed and dangerous with a feral look in her eye and a fangy smirk that was somehow familiar to Gil all the same, in an innate, instinctual kind of way. Calculating but blind, focused yet narrowed.

She seemed to take a very brief analysis of the room before discarding it, suddenly flying forward. His father reacted but to Gil’s utter amazement was to slow. She was going to get to Luveka first—

But then Higgs was there—Gil had no idea where he had come from—and was snatching the back of her shirt, using her momentum to spin her around just as Luveka let off an arc of electricity around herself. The floor under her blackened in an instant, her clothes burst up in smoke, Higgs grunted as stray sparks lashed out and seared into his back. He didn’t stop though; before Zeetha gained enough wits to fight back he was throwing her towards his father.

Gil swallowed. He had known of the rumors that the muses had been installed with a protective electrical control unit, and he had seen the Castle use Otilia’s body to spark Agatha, but that… based on the damage to the floor and clothing—that would have cremated her before she even got _close_.

Dammit Tarvek, why hadn’t he _said_ anything!

“ACK!”

Gil watched as Zeetha was slammed into the ground, her teeth bared as she growled in displeasure. He scowled himself as he checked his pockets to assure he still had it and then charged him off of her. Maybe with Zeetha’s help he could get him still enough to—oof!

 

Higgs hovered over the gunman he had just pulled out of the way as he watched the two fight off Klaus. He wanted to join them but experience told him that all that would do was cause them to trip all over each other. Two unacquainted fighter on one, granted larger than usual, target was already pushing it. The two were working together surprisingly well all things considering but three would be too much. It took a lot of time and personal experience to fight within another’s strike zone, and hell he wasn’t even sure he could do that with _Mamma_ anymore. All he could do was watch and wait for an opening.

Behind him and off a ways the one that managed to break his arm was fighting off someone he could only assume was under Lucrezia’s sway. He could go help her, but she seemed… to _not_ be dying and he had a more important target. His eyes snapped to Luveka, metal body naked, the crack on her cheek sparking every few seconds. A weak point. She was hesitating as she watched the battle. He wasn’t surprised. She always hated to lose her favorite toys.

His back burned from the distant flyaways from her attack, it would have killed him if he had been the slightest bit closer let alone Miss Zeetha. Van Rijn had known who his enemies were, and had put defenses in designed to kill them, and unlike most _he_ had succeeded.

Still, he had to finish this, he just had to do it right.

“FOUL!”

Luveka flinched and Higgs glanced briefly back over to see her pawn get pushed out of the hanger door. The Crazy Pirate Lady heaved twice and then snapped her head over to glare in their general direction.

That was it. Luevka turned and fled towards the nearest, and only, undamaged airship and he dashed to catch up a plan forming in his mind. Behind him he heard a startled growl—Klaus had noticed him.

_Fine._ This party was moving elsewhere.

 

Klaus was trapped in his own body, buried deep in some kind of clank suit that had malfunctioned and no longer followed his commands. His nerves were only working one way, he took in everything: sight, smell, _pain_ —but he sent nothing. He couldn’t control his body, his words, nothing made it farther than his brain and his thoughts.

It had been easier before, less noticeable—he had been forced to do things he didn’t want to do but given the leeway of how to do it, leeway and loopholes. They stopped him from doing certain actions but he had always been free to choose something else. Now though…

He didn’t want to fight and possibly kill Gil. He didn’t want to be slamming him into walls.

He didn’t want to fight and possibly kill Zeetha. He didn’t want to be throwing her to the floor.

He didn’t want to help Lucrezia escape _or_ keep her from harm.

And if _he_ wouldn’t do it, than the _wasp_ inside of him would, and it would use all of his skill and experience to do so—he couldn’t even deny it that.

The only luck at the moment was that the wasp was more interested in assuring the Queen’s safety from the airman than assuring Gil and Zeetha would no longer be a threat—if not… he wasn’t sure if he would be able to _stop._

He couldn’t remember the last time he had ever felt so helpless—Vulnerable, at his edge of his rope with only poor options to choose from—the night he fled, the day he decided he had to give up Gil to nannies for his own safety, more than a few choices he’s made since then. _Yes_ —but _never_ had he truly been _helpless_ , unable to do _anything_.

He hadn’t been paying attention to the fight, he didn’t need to after all and didn’t really want to watch, so he was caught off guard when Zeetha leg was suddenly low in front of him and Gil’s knee was in his back. He hit the ground hard, falling through the open doorway to the cockpit, feeling winded though the wasp didn’t care and was already pushing him up.

Shocked back into awareness he dissected the situation even as he managed an arm around Zeetha’s head and Gil was socking him in the gut, forcing him to release. Lucrezia was in a corner, away from the controls and looking both smug and nervous. He had felt the clamps release barely a moment after he had jumped on, they were already moving to who knew where.

Gil conked him in the jaw and he stumbled back. Zeetha, who had been halfway to a punch herself, adjusted with only a hair second delay and tried to kick out his knee. He managed a sidestep, grabbing at Gil’s face and smashing him into Zeetha. They both slammed to the ground, tangled in each other.

He felt empty and cold and terrified.

He approached as they scrambled to free themselves. He lifted his foot—and was stabbed in the side and sent teetering away. He didn’t fall, and turned to find Dupree huffing at him, legs shaking and eyes wide. He yanked the dagger out of his side.

“What, you were going to fight without me,” she snarked.

Gil, on his feet again, frowned. “Well, get here faster next time.”

They lunged forward as one. Klaus swiped at them a few times but they acted in sync—dodging and weaving, one taking his attention and the other instantly there to take the advantage and back again. It vaguely occurred to him that the report he had read that had scared him so much had actually been an _understatement_. They covered each other so well he was being pushed fully on the defensive.

Gil’s hand managed to grab his wrist and with a squeeze of his tendon the knife dropped. Dupree was there to take the opening—except so was Zeetha and the two stumbled and he—the wasp—found its chance. With a mighty swipe of his hand, Dupree flew across the room, slammed into a wall, and his stomach churned as she crumpled.

With another great swipe Zeetha was thrown as well. Gil dodged this time but was obviously worn down.

He was too. He could even feel his movements weaken and slow, even the wasp had its limits for how hard it could push him before he collapsed. But could his kids hold out that long. Dupree was already down.

“I would say to just give up now,” Lucrezia snarked from her spot looking far more at ease. “But I know how stubborn Wulfenbach genes are.”

She looked away from Klaus and Gil over to Zeetha who had regained her balance and sneered back. She attempted a charge and for once Klaus didn’t fight the lunge and grapple he put her in. Lu laughed, a few warning sparks sizzling from the crack on her cheek and the joints of her fingers. Klaus felt Zeetha still in his arms, a mistake that nearly cost both of them everything if Gil hadn’t jumped and pulled him into his own headlock.

“And Skifandrians are far from better.” She cocked her head with a smirk. “But that stubbornness isn’t going to let you win this time.”

It was that moment that, despite the fact he was shrugging off an exhausted Gil. Despite the fact something was wrong with Zeetha, she was wild and unpredictable and while still fighting effectively, about to collapse herself. Despite the fact Bang was unconscious and he had no idea what had happened to the poor airman who had chased her in here—he had hope.

Because Lucrezia thought that the stubbornness of a Wulfenbach _or_ a Skifandrian wasn’t enough, and maybe she was right. Almost certainly she was right.

But she wasn’t fighting just a Wulfenbach _or_ just a Skifandrian.

She was fighting them both.

Together.

Twice over.

And that wasn’t even bringing in Zanta’s own specific breed of stubbornness into the mix.

So even as he threw Gil off his back in a giant roar while spots danced across his vision. Even as he felt two quick jabs into his gut, one causing a noticeable crunch of broken ribs. Even as Zeetha kicked his legs out from under him and used the motion to twirl and land a heavy knee to his back. Even as he crashed hard to the metal floor, the wasp screaming _fight, fight, fight_. Even as Gil jumped onto him, pinning him down as best he could, rummaging through a pocket for who knew what—

He smiled a true, genuine smile.

“I really hope this works,” Gil muttered as something was squeezed into his ear. He fought against it automatically but the world was spinning and even with every voice-demand telling him to fight, it wasn’t enough to get him to move. “Tarvek better be right.”

Klaus flinched as soon as he heard that dreaded voice, his smile falling as fast as it came—but then he collapsed in a boneless heap, all hostility gone, and he can’t help but blink up at Gil in wonder.

_“You do not have to listen to this voice. You do not have to listen to the voice. You do not have to listen to this voice—”_

He heard as Gil sighed in relief, his shoulders slumping for the briefest of moments before he turned back to Lucrezia. Next to him, in his position, he could just see Zeetha’s lower body. The hostility was draining out of her too—her whole body was starting to shake, her hands most of all. She was crashing—the amount of drugs he had her on—she shouldn’t even be _awake_ right now.

“What are you _doing_ ,” Lucrezia snapped. _“Fight!”_

He felt a small urge to obey, but unlike the vast unstoppable gusts from before it was barely a light breeze, and as the voice repeated itself, even that fled.

He was still staring at Zeetha, so he didn’t see how Lucrezia reacted as reality drew on her, but he heard the stomp of her foot and low huff.

” _Fine_ , so you managed to beat your father, big _whoop_ ,” Lucrezia snarked, though Klaus could just hear the tinest thread of nerves. “You are barely capable of standing and if you make a wrong move I can turn you to ash, you haven’t _won_. Soon we’ll be far from here and that daughter of mine has too much of a mess to deal with to intervene.” He could all but hear the smirk in her voice. “Once we meet up with my girls, well, you’ll all make nice pets.”

Klaus felt Gil shift slightly but he didn’t stand—blood dripped down from above—and guilt ate at him. He hurt his son— his daughter was barely standing and he had seen that electrical attack—none of them were capable of fighting back. He had doomed them—

“Interesting choice of escape route,” Gil remarked lightly. Klaus frowned, not sure if he had heard that right, and from his position he could see Lucrezia blink owlishly once. Twice. And then turn as a loud clang rocked the ship. Klaus found the energy to push himself up to look even as the room spun with him.

The airman, Klaus recognized him as the one who had escorted Gil aboard—the one who had saved Zeetha from Lucrezia electricity attack—stood next to the cockpit controls. Behind him, through the window, he saw, even at this height, the top of Castle Heterodyne silhouetted by strike and strike of lightning.

And before that, a Torchman clung to the window—and many more were coming.

The airman tipped his hat as he noticed the attention.

Lucrezia let out a vastly inhuman screech. Zeetha fell to her knees beside him and his sight went white for a brief moment.

“Fine,” she snapped—her tone losing an edge, a vastly human edge. Never before had the mokier _the Other_ felt as fitting as now.

Sparks danced out from her cheek and fingers as her eyes glowed. Beside him Zeetha stilled and Gil cursed as he grabbed his arm in an in vain attempt at dragging him away. Before him the airman jumped at her—to do what Klaus had no idea.

“But _I’m_ not—”

Tink. Tink— Tink…

“Oh, just fucking _shut up_ already!”

Zap—!

Lucrezia fell to the floor. The airman collapsed on top of her. The cabin went quite save for a few more thumps as more torchman attached themselves and began pulling them down. Nobody moved. Nobody seemed to know what to do.

With effort Klaus turned to stare. Bang blinked back only half-conscious—one eye swollen shut, half her face quickly bruising from his own hit. She scowled as best she could through a bloodied lip. “ _What_. That was the plan wasn’t it. Hit her while she was distracted?”

“…Yeah.” Gil finally replied. ”That was the plan.”

 

Higgs surveyed over the lot as they slowly made their way towards land. He winced a little—perhaps a bit guilty—as he took in all the injuries. All he had taken were a few electrical burns on his back—they would be slow to heal—slow for him anyway, burns always were—but otherwise he looked untouched.

Of the rest Gil was the only one capable of standing—and that was saying a bit.  He had with difficulty dragged his father over to the wall next to the Crazy Pirate Lady. Probably just as much to keep an eye on him in case the recording wasn’t enough than to work on treating their wounds.

He had attempted to move Zeetha as well, but when he had reached out to touch her shoulder she had flinched away. Uncertain he had let her be. Higgs could understand why, physically she looked significantly better than either of them— and honestly Higgs didn’t know what to do either.

But her hallow, unseeing stare that peeked out from under her bangs and over her knees as she slowly rocked made him bite his lip and approach anyway, even if he had no idea what to say.

She didn’t react at his approach. His fingers twitched and he made a significant effort not to pull out his pipe. He had used up his tobacco stock while waiting for the lions to be built earlier anyway. Finally he sighed and shoved his hands into his pocket.

“Hey?”

Zeetha didn’t react for a long moment—and Higgs nearly retreated, perhaps it would be best to wait until someone she knew better—the Lady or the Andy-Boy perhaps, but then she stilled and shifted ever so slightly, her stare shifting painfully slow to rest on him. He froze—words failed him.

“Umm… you look good in stripes.”

It was silent for a beat. Higgs mentally kicked himself. What the fuck—

Zeetha laughed. It wasn’t the soundless one he had seen her do—or a barely verbal chuckle—or a simple snort.

It was a loud, belly busting, half-hysterical, but fully relived _laugh_.

Her hands weren’t even shaking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chap will be up tomorrow(12-14-17), though probably late tomorrow (evening into night) as I have a very busy day ahead of me.
> 
> Hope everyone enjoys, I hated this chapter up until my last edit-- I guess enough time had passed for me to get over how hard it was to write and enjoy it for what it really was. I'm rather proud of it now.


	25. In Which Some Peace Is Restored

Zeetha wasn’t entirely sure how Higgs and she had ended up walking up to the Great Hospital together. It had just kind of happened. Just like the last three walks had just kind of happened. They had met up somewhere in town, Zeetha honestly couldn’t remember where thinking back, and had been walking together in near silence since.

She wasn’t upset with that, really. She liked Higgs, in more ways than one to be honest, even if she still wasn’t entirely sure what to think of him.

“Glad you’re feeling better,” he said, finally breaking the silence as they approached the main doors.

Zeetha shrugged half-heartedly hiding a wince as her neck stung. She had been glad to learn she hadn’t killed anyone during her rampage on Castle Wulfenbach, but that didn’t change the fact she had gone on one. That she had lost control like she had. She couldn’t even remember anything of it, not until the end with snippets of Klaus and Gil and Higgs. When she tried all she remembered was gun fire and smoke and old and wet stone walls.

And, well… that didn’t make sense.

She wouldn’t say she was okay now either, even if in the last three days her bruises had all but faded leaving just the half-healed burn on her neck. Then again, okay and better wasn’t the same thing (she was pretty sure anyway, her grasp on this language wasn’t perfect). She wasn’t shaking anymore at least.

Apparently battledraught really shouldn’t be mixed with most other things… who knew.

Higgs didn’t say anything more as they made their way to Tarvek’s temporary lab.

 

“Umm, Agatha? Can we talk?” Gil asked quietly. Agatha glanced over at him from where she sat at a borrowed desk looking over a bunch of papers (and looking rather overwhelmed, Gil thought, maybe he could help with that later).

“Hmm?” She asked distracted as she went back to the papers.

“It’s about… well…”He hesitated for a long moment, trying to wrangle his words into some kind of order for once.

“It was pointed out to me that I wasn’t thinking and well… it was a rather bad faux pas for me to have asked you to marry me… while you were a hostage of my father… on an airship that never touches the ground… ”

“After only knowing you for a few days?” Agatha snarked lightly, though her voice was a tinge to high.

“That too… and honestly it was a horrible, half-assed, spontaneous proposal all around and I’m sorry.”

Agatha was quiet for a short moment, and then she swung around in her chair. Her face was painstakingly neutral. “Gil… you’re not _trying_ to propose _again_ are you?”

“What, no?” He didn’t even have a ring, he need a ring for that, maybe one with a miniature toolkit… “A hospital is the worse place for a— ” He caught himself and choked. “ _No_. I’m just trying to apologies for doing it in the first place.” He paused, considered Zeetha’s words. “And, um, for also getting to ahead of myself and ignoring your… no –I would never actually— um, well that _doesn’t_ matter, it sure sounded like I would.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “So I’m sorry.”

“Well… _good_.” Agatha declared after a moment of thought as she rose from her seat. “I have way to much work to do to deal with proposals right now.”

“Good luck with that,” Gil muttered under his breath. Agatha ignored him.

“And anyway… I’m not the kind of girl who marries someone she’s only known for a week.”

Gil blinked. “It’s been over three months…” he trailed off at Agatha’s deadpan stare. “…Right, the amount of time we’ve actually _spent_ together, _right_.”

Agatha stared for a bit longer and then rolled her eyes. “C’mon, your father is going to be here in an hour and I need to be gone by then.” Gil nodded, that was the deal. Until Lucrezia was out of her head or his father was freed from the wasp they would stay away from each other. “But Tarvek says there is a breakthrough with the cure and I want to know before I go.”

“Has he?” Gil asked, curious. He had been helping Tarvek out here and there when he found the time, but mostly he had been busy helping the Empire re-stabilize and working out a plan to spread the vaccination. For the most part Dr. Sun had been left in charge of assisting, and supervising Tarvek in his projects.

It was slow going. The equipment in Lucrezia’s secret lab had been crushed and a chemical fire breaking out in one of his father’s labs on Castle Wulfenbach had destroyed that Summoning Engine as well as the Spark Wasp notes he had asked for – nothing had been left but slag and ash. It must have been Luveka’s doing, during the time she had been unaccounted for, after Higgs had lost her and before Zeetha had found her. He could only imagine she had already realized she needed to flee and destroyed any chance for them to gleam knowledge.

Thankfully she had never been able to use it, and ultimately there was one benefit to Luveka having made a Summoning Engine—she had forced his father to make it—with as little instruction as possible—just to see him squirm, and because of that his father now had an understanding far beyond he did of how the Summoning Engine worked—one similar to Tarvek’s, maybe even better, and in such he had been far more willing to accept Tarvek’s help—as long as he got to review every bit of it.

Or at least that’s what Gil figured; it had never been directly said, just his father being far more reasonable than Gil was used to.

Then again, he also just seemed far more tried. It worried him if he thought about it too hard.

But he didn’t take it for granted either—they needed to get the vaccination distributed, a cure made, and Lucrezia fully neutralized and out of people’s heads and his father being stubborn would only slow that down.

And even then it wouldn’t be over; he knew far well, they all did. This was just a lull in the battle—the Geisterdamen were still out there with a Summoning Engine—they could make another Lucrezia. With any hope The Jäger squads sent to explore the tunnels would find them first but they couldn’t count on that.

They walked in silence for a while, Gil watching in amusement at how passerby’s reacted to their, or rather, mostly Agatha’s presence. Tourists and temporary patients barely paid her any mind, long time but non-accepted employees watched with uncertain glances and a respectful distance, while Mechanicsburgers all but bowed. Funnily enough Agatha seemed oblivious—though that may have been because she was back to reading through her pile of papers, and seemed to only avoid tripping into anyone out of pure habit.

“So how is being the Lady of Mechanicsburg working out for you?”

“I’m not technically it yet,” Agatha countered looking up and holding the papers more firmly to her chest. “You know that.”

That was true. The other part of the deal was that at least until Lucrezia was removed from Agatha head, Mechanicsburg would stay under the Empire’s control. From what he’d heard, there were even a bunch of traditions and rituals Agatha was putting off until then. The Castle was starting to get a bit snippy.

In return, until his father was freed from the wasp, every decision he made regarding the Empire had to go through both him and Boris and he had to be escorted by one of them or Bang everywhere he went. Gil had never felt so trusted by his father in his life.

That said. “Officially maybe, but pretty much nobody actually cares though.” He gestured to the papers in her arms. Agatha shrugged stiffly.

“I like to pretend this is what it’ll be like when I take over,” she said, a little pale. “But Van has already rid me of that illusion.”

Gil laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll help.”

“Me too.”

The two jumped as Zeetha appeared at Agatha’s other shoulder. Sometimes she was almost as bad as Violetta, Gil grumbled internally. Though now that he was paying attention to more than Agatha he realized she had just popped out of Tarvek’s repurposed lab door.

“You help?” He asked instead.

She stared at him blankly. “War Princess.”

Gil stared back. “I still don’t really know what that means.”

“It means she’s a Princess, Gil, It’s not Muse maintenance,” Tarvek drawled from inside the room.

“I mean… _yeah_ , but what about the war bit,” Gil countered as they entered. Zeetha returned to sit on a counter next to Violetta, as well as Moxana. That had been the third part of the deal, Tarvek was willing to do everything but he wanted to muses with him. Zeetha had been firm about it as well—and to Gil’s surprise Klaus had rather easily agreed once so. So other than several brief meetings with Otilia, too big to fit in the hospital proper, they had been in here. Tinka unfortunately wouldn’t be fixed anytime soon—too many other pressing matters, but they were together, and just in case Moxana had taken to holding Tinka’s head.

For some reason Mr. Higgs was also there, and his appearance nearly cost Gil’s train of thought if Tarvek hadn’t quickly replied.

“Have you _seen_ her fight?”

“ _Yes_ , but together it _means_?”

Tarvek was quiet for a long moment.

“You don’t know, do you?” Gil smirked.

“Look, in the last three years she’s maybe spoken a thousand words to me, most of which I’ve been recently told was _actually_ gibberish.” He shot a short glare over the papers he was reviewing. Gil followed it to find Zeetha smiling smugly, Violetta and Higgs both looking bemused next to her. “It’s not my fault she is frustratingly cryptic.”

“But it’s _mine_ —”

“Alright _enough_. Stop taking about her like she’s not here. It’s rude and I don’t have that much time as it is,” Agatha interrupted. “Tarvek, what do you have?”

 

It wasn’t a cure, not quite yet. Or more accurately it _was_ , in theory, but not even three overpowered Sparks thought it was a good idea to use it on the leader of the Empire without some serious testing. Zeetha had pinched herself, wondering if perhaps she was dreaming. _Her_ Sparks being logical, absurd? All three of them had shot her a glare but Violetta had laughed and even Mr. Higgs had snorted.

When Agatha had made her leave, Zeetha had seemed tempted to follow—and then Tarvek had offhandedly, in that particular way he did when he was being direct, mentioned that he would be using electricity in the next step and any temptation to stay had died. Mr. Higgs had followed after her—Gil was beginning to have suspicions—leaving only Violetta to stay behind with Tarvek.

Gil grumbled a bit over it as he escorted Agatha, accompanied by Zeetha and Mr. Higgs, out. He wasn’t planning on leaving entirely, he had made it a more unofficial personal rule to never leave his father and Tarvek alone, but he figured he could meet his father at the entrance of the hospital district.

“All right, I give,” Agatha suddenly said out of the blue. “What does it mean?”

Gil looked up in time to see Zeetha pose in a rather over-exaggerated “thinker” pose for a long moment. “General,” she suggested, but looked unsure. She then reached over and pulled at Mr. Higgs shirt sleeve. He suddenly looked _very_ uncomfortable.

“Soldier,” Gil offered, though that couldn’t be right, surly they didn’t call _all_ their fighters an equivalent to princesses… unless her home was much smaller than he had been assuming.

Zeetha shook her head harshly.

“Officer?” Agatha tried.

Zeetha considered that and then shrugged.

“Mr. Higgs isn’t an officer though,” Gil corrected, “Though that could change.” He raised an eyebrow at him. He managed to look even more uncomfortable. “The offer still stands.”

“I’m… good as I am, sir,” he refuted glancing away. Zeetha snorted. Gil rolled his eyes. It wasn’t that hard to guess, considering his appearance at Mamma’s, use of battledraught, and his moxy in sticking around, that he was a Mechanicsburg local, possibly even a high ranking one. Perhaps he was from one of the Crime Families and almost certainly Spark-enhanced. In any case Gil suspected he was planning on deserting soon so in no need of a promotion—or would be if Gil hadn’t already been planning on giving Mechanicsburg locals the opportunity to honorably discharged once Mechanicsburg became independent and the Jäger left despite not having the same agreement—presuming a different option wasn’t taken of course.

He hadn’t told his father yet, but he didn’t really think he would fight it _too_ hard on that.

“So you’re not related to a queen then?” Agatha continued. “Is there even a queen?”

Zeetha shook her head. “Am.” She glanced away. “Mother.”

“Wait, your Mom _is_ the queen?” Gil interrupted.

“War.”

“ _War_ Queen.” Zeetha nodded. Gil paused. “Are their other queens?”

Gil was watching her more closely now, mostly because for some reason she wasn’t really talking again, and so noticed the brief conflicted look pass over her features. She hesitated, but this time he wasn’t as sure it was because she didn’t know the word. She nodded.

“Okay, and one day you’ll be Qu—War Queen?”

Zeetha shook her head.

Gil blinked. “So you’re _not_ your mother’s heir?

“Ah.” She frowned, and then lifted her hand horizontally and waved it in a so-so gesture before almost pinching her fingers together.

“A little bit,” Gil guessed. “Do you have a bunch of older siblings or something?”

Zeetha snorted at that and shook her head hard enough to give Gil whiplash.

“Then who is?”

Zeetha looked at him for a long moment, studying him really. Gil realized then that maybe it was kind of odd how deep he was digging. But… but ever since that conversation they had had in the Castle, he had started to wonder. Wonder that maybe his mother may have been Skifandrian. It would explain why his father worried about a Skifandrian girl suddenly showing up, why she would be connected to him… would explain why his father seemed to know ancient Skifandrian mind tricks. So he couldn’t help but want to know more.

Zeetha tilted her head. “The Queen’s pick.”

“From anyone?”

“From family,” she looked away but Gil could see her jaw move a few times before she continued. “For us, War family.”

“How big is your family?”

Zeetha just spread her arms out.

“So, big as Tarvek’s,” he offered with a slight grin.

To his surprise she shook her head and gestured even wider.

“Wow…that _is_ a big family.”

 

They left Gil at the main gate to the Hospital district and turned inward, weeding their way through Mechanicsburg back alleys to avoid the crowds. It didn’t pass Zeetha’s notice that Higgs was subtly, and she wasn’t entirely sure even consciously, leading them through the maze, though she couldn’t tell if Agatha had picked up on it.

Speaking of Agatha, Zeetha could feel her gaze on the back of her neck. Cracking it she took a deep breath and glanced backwards with a raised eyebrow.

Agatha pushed a stray lock behind her ear. “I was wondering if you are okay. You haven’t been…”

She knew what she wanted to say and a flush creeped up the back of her neck. She hated it; she knew she was fully capable of speaking Romanian. She has done fine a bunch of times. But today… she just… She nodded and looked away.

“Just not a talking kind of day,” Agatha asked lightly, her voice far more understanding than Zeetha would ever expect. She glanced back a little wide eyed and found Agatha smiling lightly, her hand coming up to touch her own warrior’s symbol. After a long moment Zeetha nodded even as her face redden even more. Ashamed or not… it’s nice for someone to understand.

Especially since she was _so_ tired lately—not physically, but… Gil was _exhausting_. He talked a lot, and gestured a lot, and always tried to bring her into it, and she could appreciate the gesture even if he never stopped trying, but it was _so_ much. And despite trying to stick around Agatha… which she was embarrassed to admit wasn’t just to get to know her better… it was always _so_ crowded, and _loud_ , and _claustrophobic_.

People in general were just exhausting… but she didn’t want to be alone either. She got enough of that at night.

That was why she’d been spending so much time in Tarvek’s lab since he didn’t mind when she was quiet and could read when she signed. He either propelled the conversation on his own or enjoyed the silence himself as he worked, and he always seemed to know when to do which. And it was why she’d come to appreciate the random sudden walks with Higgs as well. He never seems bothered about the silence. He might try once or twice to start a conversation but he was happy to let it fall sideways as well.

They had even spent some time at Mamma Gikka’s, and it seemed as long as she was with him, the Jäger left her be, and the roar of the bar was left to be, admittedly sometimes somewhat painfully nostalgic, white noise.

And yes, that was suspicious, but honestly, Zeetha was too tired to bother with it right now.

Seeing the boyz, even if only on rare occasions was nice. They had even replaced her jacket for her, collar popped and all—though she had no idea where they had found a new one.

“Okay.” Agatha just nodded back. Zeetha avoided looking ahead, she was sure Higgs was listening in though she doubted he was being obvious about it.

Agatha didn’t say anything more until she was saying goodbye at the lower Castle gate. As she turned to leave Zeetha reached out and tugged at the hem of her shirt. Agatha turned back with raised eyebrows.

Zeetha smirked, and tapped the stonework of the gate a couple of times. “Dawn.” She said cheekily and did her best to replicate the “look” her mother always wore as Kolee.

Agatha read it properly and crumpled instantly. “But I have so _much_ work to do.”

As far as Zeetha was concerned, three days was more than enough time to spare before getting back into training. Six really since the last, and _only_ time they did anything. Agatha wouldn’t improve on her own, and she had admitted she needed it.

So she just did her best to enhance the “look.”

Agatha sighed. “I’ll be there—oh?”

Zeetha frowned as Agatha suddenly looked startled. She rubbed at her eyes and looked over Zeetha’s shoulder. Zeetha turned to look only to see a small crowd of tourists in the distance. She turned back with furrowed eyebrows.

“It’s nothing,” Agatha brushed off, voice soft. “Just thought I saw someone I knew—”

“You probably know lots of people by now,” Higgs started rather gently, looking concerned. Zeetha nodded slowly.

“Yes, it’s just… ”She trailed off with a yawn. “It’s nothing, I just need some sleep… or coffee,” she mused eyes trailing to the ground. “Even if Lilith will kill me once she decants in two days…” she muttered to herself.

Zeetha grimaced as she considered Agatha before her and then sighed. She tapped the gate again. “Noon.” She adjusted. Agatha blinked up twice before smiling a little desperately.

“Deal. I’ll be there,” she promised.

“I’ll make sure of it!” The Castle suddenly piped up. Zeetha jumped slightly, as did Agatha.

Agatha turned with a slight, distracted wave. “Aren’t you supposed to be on my side,” she demanded as she left.

“Exercise is good for you,” it answered cheerily.

“Yeah, yeah, just tell me the status of the reconstruction of—”

Zeetha shook her head as she watched her Zumil climb the hill. A brush on her hand though snapped her out of it and she glanced over at Higgs who gestured towards town.

“Want to go on a walk?” He asked. Zeetha blinked at him and then nodded. If nothing else, Higgs seemed to have a 6th sense in finding the paths with the least people, which was… nice.

He turned and led them down into the Tumbles.

 

Two days later Zeetha stopped in front of Tarvek’s door, holding up one hand to tell Higgs to wait. He paused without complaint. She peeked into the lab through the window on the door and noted Tarvek, his back to the door, no dangerous chemicals or tools in his hand. She also noticed Violetta who was looking right at her with a tilted head.

Zeetha put a finger to her lips, and then backed up a bit, before kicking the door open with a large bang. Tarvek startled just like she wanted, a knife flying a hair passed her cheek—would have stuck true if she hadn’t known it was coming.

She smiled wildly at Tarvek who huffed twice before scowling at her. “Are you _still_ trying to get yourself killed,” he snapped at her. Zeetha considered that, still smiling, before shaking her head. No, no she wasn’t. “I had hoped you’d stopped that habit.”

Zeetha shrugged.

He huffed. “You’re lucky Violetta didn’t attack as well—you wouldn’t have seen that coming.”

He looked over at her and she shrugged as well. “Saw her coming,” she explained. He huffed again. “Like you _should_ have—also you are so predictable she knew what you were going to _do?”_ She tilted her head, a semi teasing-semi serious tone in her voice. “For shame.”

He ignored that, or rather didn’t seem to know how to respond. Instead he searched for a long moment before pouting and turning back to Zeetha who had wandered closer, Higgs at her heel.

“What’s next, are you going to drag me away without a word,” he snipped before going back to his work.

“Very fonny,” Zeetha deadpanned as she rolled her eyes at Tarvek’s back. She walked over, waving to Moxana who nodded at her and patting Tinka’s head in greeting before she jumped up to sit next to Violetta on the counter, ignoring Tarvek mumble about how there were chairs and something about civilized people. Violetta gave her an odd look which Zeetha returned with a raised brow.

“Is there a reason you’re talking like a Mechanicsburger?” Violetta asked.

Zeetha tilted her head at her. ”Huh?”

“Your accent,” Violetta shrugged. “You always had a bit of one, but lately you’ve started sounding a little like the Jäger?”

Zeetha blinked at her, and then turned to Higgs who sat at her other side puffing on his pipe looking somewhat smug. She raised her eyebrows at him.

“Hmm, I s’pose,” he agreed slowly. “Haven’t really noticed though.”

Zeetha considered that and shrugged. She had always had a problem with picking up accents from others around her back at home, five minutes with an ambassador usually led to an hour speaking funny, and she had been spending a lot of time at the bar with the Boyz and Mamma.

“So why do you two hang out so much here anyway,” Violetta continued. “There _has_ to be more interesting stuff than watching this idiot proof math or whatever.”

Zeetha just leaned back and waved a hand, though she let her eyes drift away. She didn’t really want to explain so instead she sent a pointed look to Violetta with her brows raised.

“Me?” Violetta guessed and at Zeetha’s nod she rolled her eyes. “Well, I might work for Agatha now, but she’s never going to get her mother out of her head without this idiot,” she jerked a thumb towards Tarvek who was snottily pretending to not be listening. “There’s been twelve tries on his life in the last five days, and it will only get worse at people stabilize and get time to plan. He could…” she paused and made a face. “He could _probably_ take care of himself but the more he can let down his guard, the more work he’ll get done. And who else has the time and ability to do… that… _oh_ …”

She trailed off as she realized what she was saying and Zeetha offered a smile that didn’t feel right and probably didn’t look it either. Tarvek had stilled in his work and the three of them sat in an awkward silence for a long moment to Zeetha’s frustration. She tapped her fingers rapidly against her leg as she tried to find words, _any_ words that would make it go away.

Higgs came to her rescue. “I’m… I’m missing somethin’ aren’t I?” He asked, breaking the silence if not the mood. Zeetha’s lips twisted up into something like a smirk and she waved her hand in a so-so motion. He gave her a look but she refused to comment. Instead she grabbed a crumpled up paper and threw it at Tarvek’s head.

He flinched and glared back at her, she motioned at him. He made a face and went back to work.

“What?” Violetta asked. Zeetha could feel Higgs shrug beside her.

Zeetha ignored them and attempted to swallow the sour taste in her mouth. Tarvek’s lab might have been familiar, comfortable, maybe even safe to a degree but… there was still a strain. One she was trying to ignore because she was already _so_ tired but… that didn’t make it go away.

Zeetha didn’t see Tarvek as a friend but she did sometimes think of him as a brother. That was not necessary complementary to him. A friend was someone you chose, someone you spent time with on you own _free_ will, someone you worked with on your own _free_ will. One didn’t choose their siblings, and they rarely had the choice whether to work or spend time together. And, as Zeetha was well aware, being family didn’t mean people had to like each other, or even be anything but cruel and spiteful.

And she and Tarvek _hadn’t_ chosen to spend time together, and the choice to work together was the only real choice they had to make at the time. They would have gotten nowhere alone.

Not to say Tarvek was at that level. Maybe even one day they could be friends, now that she was free of Anevka and Stumhulten and soon Lucrezia, but first she would have to get the collar off. Something she hadn’t done yet, because she refused to make that a priority while Lucrezia still existed. She was too much of a danger to the people she cared about here and at home. The power she held over her… or probably held over her… she wasn’t sure whatever Klaus had done had fully broken the verbal component of the collar or not. She hadn’t had the… _chance_ to ask.

Tarvek knew all her trigger words and while he had that power over her she would never be able to see him as a friend. Afterward perhaps, conflict always did make the best of allies, or the worst of enemies. It would depend on him, on his actions, his choices, his ability to trust.

That part would be the hardest. Zeetha could tell that he really did want to do better with the first two, but she was doubtful he even saw the problem of the third, even after her callout.  He was incapable of real trust. He faked it, even to himself some times. He trusted his own assessment of her and how she may react, perhaps, or trusted her because she had once had no real ability to break said trust and he hadn’t yet adjusted to the fact she now did, but _actual_ trust in her was all but nothing. He had been long since been broken of his ability to trust, if it had ever formed in the first place, and it would be a long road for him to relearn it, if he ever fully could. Zeetha suspected even to his last day he would be relying more on trusting his assessments of people, than trusting the people himself. Some scars never fully heal.

Until then she guessed they would go on pretending things were as normal between the two of them. Not a hard feat as they were the only ones who knew what normal _was_ between the two of them.

“I’m going to be some welding soon,” Tarvek said lightly as he scribbled in a notebook. “And the Baron and Gilgamesh will be here soon to check up on my progress,” He added with a little bit of distaste. Zeetha tensed up slightly her face going red. Right, things as normal, she thought, stupid _observantly_ normal. Her stomach churned in a mix of emotions, mostly appreciation if she was being honest with herself and she tried to be.

“Maybe I’ll go see what Agatha is—” She started hoping off the counter.

“I hope you don’t mind but we’re early.”

Zeetha froze for a second, cheap smile fixed on her face. And then she took a deep breath through her nose, attempted for a neutral expression, and turned to the door.

And froze again.

Tarvek looked between Zeetha and Klaus warily. “ _I_ don’t,” he said.

Klaus ignored him. His eyes trained on Zeetha’s frozen form. Gil peaked over his shoulder as best he could, looking bewildered, on one side and Bang did the same on the other.

“To be honest, I’m early on purpose.” Klaus admitted as he stepped into the room. Zeetha’s eyes darted up to his face as he spoke but quickly fell back down to his arms. “You are extremely hard to track down.”

Zeetha’s hands shook as he stepped closer, not a little like they usually did but great trembles that almost hurt. She desperately grabbed at the hem of her new airman’s jacket to try and still them.

In one hand he held her belt: the sword’s Agatha had gifted her, the dagger Dimo had gifted her, and the pouch holding her few possessions. But in the other…

He held a deep red leather harness with smiley faced clasps that held two blue sheathes. Golden swords sat inside them, the smirking hand guards gleaming at her. Strung through the leather was two golden arm braces, and tied to it a very familiar headpiece.

Klaus stopped about a meter away. “I believe these are yours?” He asked simply.

Zeetha sucked in a breath and slowly her eyes climbed from her long lost possessions to his face. It was almost painstakingly neutral, but Zeetha could see a quiver of uncertainty… or nerves in his gaze.

Her eyes watered, her lip twitched once, twice and then she was surging forward with a cry of, “ZO!” Klaus barely spread his arms in time for her to collapse on to his chest, and after a moment of hesitation she felt his arms close around her, swords digging into her back but she could really care less. Her body shook with sobs that for once she couldn’t even think to suppress.

“Shh, Ba’in, it’s alright,” he murmured, rocking her slightly as she shook. Zeetha breath caught and she shook harder. “I’m _so_ sorry. I should have looked harder.” Zeetha shook her head into his coat but couldn’t manage anything more than another sob.

As she finally began to calm, feeling exhausted and better all at once, she heard a small voice ask, “zoo?”

She pushed against Klaus lightly and he let her go, handing her possessions to her as he did so. She turned her head just enough to see a very lost looking Gil as reality hit her.  She looked up at Klaus, who suddenly looked very sheepish.

“You know… how I said we had a lot to talk about…” He started with.

“Were twins,” Zeetha interrupted as she wiped away tears. Higgs handed her a handkerchief which she took with only a slight diverting of eyes.

The entire room was silent for a long moment.

“WHAT?” Gil cried. “H-how?”

Zeetha frowned and then looked back up at Klaus, who read the look on her face expertly.

“Yes, he does know where babies come from,” he answered dryly.

Gil sputtered. “B-but?”

“Why, I don’t know,” Zeetha sighed, giving Klaus a dark look. He pointedly glanced away. “But he left and took you and I wanted to see what happened to you so I took my chance when a ship found us but then we got caught by pirates who took me and I wasn’t able to kill them all.”

It was quiet. Gil seemed speechless. Klaus was avoiding her gaze. Zeetha huffed in annoyance.

“THAT WAS YOU!”

Everyone jumped and turned to look at Bang who up until this point had been pointedly ignoring the mushy stuff. She huffed in anger, her face flushed, her hand reaching for something in her jacket.

“Dupree stand down,” Klaus ordered.

“She _killed_ my army!” Bang snarled hand grabbing a dagger.

Tarvek, who to his great dismay was standing within ten feet of her, snorted. “An army who kidnapped her. Sold her into slavery. Sold the daughter of the Baron of Europa into slavery, your _boss_. Your boss’ daughter, the sister of your _other_ boss, not to mention someone who, while _very_ sick, managed to clean out your fortress. _Alone_.

Bang paused, took an uncharacteristic moment to think and then paled ever so slightly.

Zeetha who had been listening glanced at Dupree with an unreadable expression. “Not _all_ of them, collapsed when a couple were still alive, that’s how I got sold.” Her voice trailed off, waiting.

Bang didn’t hesitate, her face twisting in anger. “Those cowardly arseholes,” she hissed. “I told them to stay low until I was back, and people are always a mess they k _new_ that, they better hope their dead because when I get to them—” She continued on, for the most part everyone tuned her out.

“Drat,” Tarvek muttered under his breath looking rather put off, as if just realizing what he had done.

“Your taking this well,” Klaus frowned at Tarvek.

Tarvek shrugged and gave a very exaggerated look between Gil, still speechless and Zeetha. “To be honest, in hindsight, I’m not surprised; looking now I can see the similarities.”

Zeetha pouted at him.

“Don’t worry, you’re not _completely_ similar.”

Gil sputtered into words. Tarvek tended to have that effect on him. “Hey!”

Tarvek ignored him, a smirk playing on his lip. “Mostly it’s the eyes… and hair… out of curiosity, if you were to cut it—”

Zeetha groaned and looked pained. “Ba’in…” she muttered to herself. Tarvek cocked an eyebrow at that. Klaus straight up laughed.

“It means spikey,” he said, looking as if he couldn’t help it, for a moment the fierce sternness had melted from his face. “She was born with a shocking amount of hair… Wulfenbach hair.”

Zeetha groaned again her face going red as Tarvek laughed. In the background she swore she could hear Violetta laughing as well.

“Meanwhile Gil was born completely bald.”

“Father!” Gil protested as Tarvek chuckle turned to a full blown laugh. Zeetha felt a smile tug at her lips as she glanced up at everyone and hugged her swords to her chest.

She felt… peaceful.

 

Agatha gaped over a pot of firmly _decaf_ coffee. “Wait… your _who_?” Zeetha smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skiff Translations:  
> Zo: Papa, dad, daddy, pronounced close to zoo (adding to Gil's confusion)  
> Ba'in: Spikey, a baby name for Zeetha, built from ba, meaning spike or point, and 'gin, a suffix used to compare something (Ba'gin -spike like, Zo'gin - father like, ect)
> 
> And that's it. Were done. Somehow I managed to finish this. I hope it satisfies everyone reading!
> 
> I may come back to this universe, I would love to do a little with Skifander and it's not like the story is over, but it will probably be awhile, I need some time to de-stress and refresh myself by working somewhere else.
> 
> If anyone is interested, I wrote out some of my feelings regarding the series as a whole [ Here ](http://han100894.tumblr.com/post/168554916054/some-thoughts-of-the-different-zeetha-series).
> 
> And thank you to Para/ firecoloredwater for all the help she's given me when I got stuck or when I just needed someone to tell me to write. Thank you to Songwithnosoul for always reblogging my Tumblr links, and thank you to Elf Kid2.0 and LizwiddaZ and everyone else who has commented and stuck with me through all this time.
> 
> Thank you and I hope you enjoyed!


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